IT SHOULD have been obvious when she took her first steps at just nine months old that Tara Bird would develop into a talented runner.

Indeed, her future in athletics seemed written in the stars when she was born to an Olympic 400 metre runner.

Bird’s mother Gladys – running under her maiden name of Taylor – competed for Great Britain at the 1976 Games in Montreal and then again eight years later in Los Angeles. But Bird Junior managed to dodge her destiny until the age of 14, when she eventually succumbed to the inevitable and pulled on her running shoes.

Now, at 21, she is one of the hottest prospects in British athletics and has a double Olympic gold medalist by her side as she begins her quest to reach the 2012 Games in London.

Dame Kelly Holmes became this country’s first double gold medalist at the same Games since 1920 after her double triumph in the 800m and 1500m in Athens five years ago. And she has taken it upon herself to nurture Bird’s talent through her ‘On Camp with Kelly’ programme, while she has already convinced the youngster that she has what it takes to reach the very top.

“London 2012 is definitely my main goal,” says Bird. “I think I’ll hit my peak in 2016 but I want to run in London.

“Knowing that Kelly has faith in me is a big boost. She says I have the talent to do it and she is right behind me. I just need to work hard as it will be very tough to get there.”

Holmes is adamant that her protégé will follow in her footsteps and run in the Olympics, and although she stopped short of tipping her for a medal, it is that type of confidence that has helped the local athlete propel to the top of the national rankings.

Bird tops the standings for the under 23s category in both the 400m and 800m. After making the switch from one lap of the track to two in 2006, Bird is now number four in the country’s senior rankings, while she remains in the top six for the shorter distance.

Indeed, she was recently selected for Great Britain’s 4x400m squad for the European Indoor Champion-ships in Athens, and, while she did not feature, she insists it was a valuable experience.

“I was picked on the back of one good race over 400m and it was great to be selected,” she added. “It was a great learning experience for me to be at a major tournament and that will set me up for events to come.”

The European U23 Championships are next on the agenda, and Bird will be heading to Lithuania in July as one of the frontrunners for a medal.

There will certainly be plenty of hours spent pounding the track in preparation and Bird will be keen to draw from more advice from her mentor, who she insists has already made a world of difference.

“Kelly’s been very involved since I joined OCWK in 2006. I have a lot of one on ones with her before races. She gives me lots of advice on how to run the race and she gives me so much extra confidence.”

Dame Kelly Holmes is mentoring up and coming athletes through her ‘On Camp with Kelly’ scheme, with Aviva. For more info go to www.oncampwithkelly.co.uk