By Ben Croucher Blast reporter, BBC Radio Kent

Leavey won a silver medal at the European Indoor Championships

They say the younger you start in sport the better your chances of making it to the big time, but Kent athlete Nick Leavey is hoping to be an exception to that rule.

The 400m runner from Ashford only decided to don his first pair of spikes when he was 15 years old.

But despite great early promise, he disappeared off the national radar for nearly five years.

But now, aged 22, Leavey has his sights firmly set on a place in Great Britain's squad for London 2012.

He admits his career has been something of an eventful "whirlwind" to date, but he believes the Olympic Games is a realistic target.

"You want to represent your country at the Olympics - that's everybody's dream," he said.

"You want to be able to look back and say 'I was at the 2012 Olympics,' but it's going to be ridiculously tough.

I trained on my own for two years and went backwards Nick Leavey

"The standard in my event and athletics in general has increased so much.

"It's the strongest I've known since I've been involved in the sport."

Leavey may have come into the sport later than most, but he has already experienced more up and downs than a proverbial yo-yo.

Within a year of buying his first pair of spikes, Leavey had already represented Great Britain, and by the time he had finished his A-Levels, he was the English Schools' 400m champion and had competed at the World Youth Games.

But in 2004, his form nosedived.

He swapped the Garden of England for the hustle and bustle of London, where he took up a place at Brunel University, in Uxbridge - a move that nearly squandered his tremendous talent.

In trying to juggle training, and studying for his degree, Leavey's performances plummeted and he endured a barren spell.

But after five testing years, a rejuvenated Leavey has fought back in style.

"I trained on my own for two years and went backwards," he admitted.

It could come down to one day, one race and if I get that little bit of luck - who knows? Nick Leavey

"But I've started training with the elite group and last year I had my most successful season.

"I'm lucky because I'm a very motivated person. My goal this year was to make it into the European Indoor team and I did that.

"As long as I ran fast enough to put myself in contention, I was happy with my performance whatever the result."

His successful season peaked in March, where he won a silver medal as part of the Men's 4x400m relay team at the European Indoor Championships in Turin.

Leavey says he has taken to indoor competition just as easily as he took to the sport in the first place.

"It's only the second year I've run indoors and I've done really well so far. For some reason it's come quite easily to me," he said.

"I seem to be allergic to sunlight and wind," he joked.

Nevertheless, Leavey is determined in his quest to perform outdoors on the biggest stage of all, at London 2012.

He says the ingredients of his success are hard work, small steps and a dash a good fortune.

"I have to get all the little things right for the next three years, work hard and do what I need to do," he said.

"It could come down to one day, one race and if I get that little bit of luck - who knows?"

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