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http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/79398160/Wellington-athlete-takes-top-gong-at-junior-disability-games Team Wellington's Libby Leikis, 17, took the athletics overall female trophy at the 2016 Halberg junior disability games. Wellington teenage athlete Libby Leikis is pumped after taking a top gong at the 2016 Halberg junior disability games over Anzac Weekend. The specialist sprinter, 17, won the 50m and the 100m and also competed in the 200m, 800m, shot put and long jump to take the athletics overall female trophy at the games, held in Waikato. Although athletics is her passion, the versatile year 13 Wellington Girls' College student also represented Wellington in swimming, athletics, ambulant football, badminton, table tennis and rowing. Her outstanding performance has boosted her confidence for upcoming fixtures in Australia and her dream goal - competing in athletics at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. "I still feel sore, but it feels really, really good," she said. Leikis said the award would also look good on her CV - she plans to study early childhood education and merge that career with one in the world of sport. In April she was invited to join the Sport New Zealand Pathway 2 Podium programme as recognition of her potential. Leikis was born with a condition called tuberous sclerosis, which leads to the growth of tumours in several parts of the body, including the brain, skin and kidneys. She had epileptic seizures as an infant and ended up having surgery as a 2-year-old to remove a brain tumour that was triggering the fits. That stopped the epilepsy, but she had a stroke after the surgery, which caused permanent weakness on the right side of her body, a condition known as hemiplegia. At primary school Leikis would join in at the local athletics club nights, but would always come last and struggled with other sports owing to poor balance. Then in year 9 she was invited to enter the athlete with disability races at the College Sport Wellington school of athletics and won the 100m. She hasn't looked back. Competing at the Halberg junior disability games over the past three years has led to some lasting friendships and Leikis said she had especially enjoyed helping younger children compete as part of Team Wellington. - The Wellingtonian