GUTSY Great Sankey athlete Kelly Chadwick has returned from the World Transplant Games in Gateshead with a glittering haul of four gold medals and three world records.

But what made the battling 19-year-old’s record breaking in the 100metres, 200 metres and long jump, plus top spot in the 4 x 100m even more remarkable is the fact that it was done in her first event of the year after sickness wrecked her summer preparation.

Sale Harrier Kelly was one of the best young athletes in the country before being diagnosed with acute myloid leukaemia as a in March 2015.

After undergoing a bone marrow transplant and then battling Graft versus host disease, which involved 130 days in an isolation unit, Kelly returned to the track last year.

Kelly announced her return emphatically in the 2018 British Championships, with fantastic times in the sprints and an excellent long jump.

Although preparations for this year’s worlds have been severely hampered by chest infections and the debilitating effects of Graves’ disease, Kelly’s indefatigable spirit shone through.

Her dad, and coach, Phil Chadwick said: “Kelly has not been well at all and it was touch and go whether she would make the games. But she has still smashed three world records - a half-fit Kelly is still ok to do herself justice.

“She has not been able to compete this year, and this was her first event but we were there to win.

“Prior to getting ill she was one of the best sprinters and jumpers in the country at 14, her mindset is to win and she is tough like that.”

The former Penketh High School pupil has recently passed qualifications to be a personal trainer.

Her aim – particularly after last year’s times – was to get back competing with able bodied athletes, but because of her health that is now not possible.

“She can’t do the training like she used to do and so this is the next best thing,” said Phil.

“But we just crack on – I am just beyond proud and beyond grateful for what Manchester Children’s Hospital did to save her life. We are lucky to have her and one of the reasons we do these transplant games is for the hospital, to thank them.

"The British team had more than 200 golds – we are the best in the world. They are trying to make this really big now for those people who have a second chance in life, and trying to bump it up in the way the Paralympics has taken off.

"They are all together, heart, kidney, bone marrow and so on – and they have all got a story.

"They are all amazing, and fair play to them all."

Kelly clocked 13.26s in the 100m, 28.18s in the 200m and leapt 4.96m in the long jump.