BASINGSTOKE'S own Ben Pattison has been named the British Elite Athletes Association's (BEAA) athletes' athlete of the month for August, following his historic performance at the World Athletics Championships.

Ben, who is from Odiham and represents Basingstoke and Mid Hants Athletic Club, secured the honour after clinching a bronze medal in the 800m event at the World Championships, making him the first British man to medal in this category since 1987.

What makes the 21-year-old's achievement even more remarkable is the extraordinary journey he has undertaken to reach this point.

At the age of 18, he underwent life-saving surgery to address Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a heart condition that caused his heart to beat abnormally fast at 250 beats per minute.

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Prior to the surgery, doctors had advised Ben to cease his running activities, a recommendation he vehemently opposed given his deep passion for the sport.

Following the successful surgical procedure, Ben faced the challenging ordeal of not being able to run for four months, an experience he described as "very scary". 

Thankfully, the operation and the rest were a success and Ben has not experienced any problems since.

Ben's remarkable journey and outstanding performance did not go unnoticed by his peers on the World Class Programme, who exclusively determine the recipient of the athletes' Athlete of the Month award.

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Speaking to the British Elite Athletes Association (BEAA), Ben said: “I was a bit surprised, to be honest, but I think it shows how big the World Champs was for athletics as a whole. I think it was the best team performance of the last 30 years and especially for the men’s middle distance, me and Josh Kerr both medalling was the first time I think ever that we’ve medalled in the men’s 800m and 1500m at the same champs.”

Ben's nomination for the award placed him alongside other outstanding athletes, including Fran Brown (para-cycling), Alice Tai (para-swimming), and Laurie Williams (wheelchair basketball), all of whom had achieved personal milestones in their respective fields.

The award acknowledges elite British sportspeople not only for their competitive achievements but also for their contributions to personal development, inspiring comebacks, charity work, and awareness raising. It celebrates success across the spectrum of elite British sport, with the winner selected by the athlete community itself.