Cool Runnings: Yorkshire student Ashley Watson heads to Beijing as part of Jamaica's bobsleigh team

Ashley Watson has just completed his master's degree in physiotherapy at Sheffield Hallam and will now graduate in November.

But before he celebrates his educational success, he's got his eye on becoming an international success story at the Winter Olympics.

He will be part of a four-man team who will represent Jamaica in the bobsleigh - the first time in 24 years the country has had a four-man crew at the event.

The team's qualification has drawn comparisons with the classic 1993 move Cool Runnings, which told the story of the 1980s bobsleigh team from Jamaica.

Ashley said: “It’s a great honour to be able to represent Jamaica and hopefully inspire the next generation of Jamaican bobsleigh athletes. A childhood dream come true.

"It has taken consistent training for 10 years, and I want to show that no matter who you are or where you come from, if you have a dream and you believe, it will happen. If you’re ready to sacrifice lots to get there it will happen - life has no limits.”

The 28-year-old - who was part of Sheffield Hallam’s Performance Athlete Support Programme, which provides up to £3,000 of support to allow talented student athletes to balance university life whilst pushing for success in sport - will take part in the event which begins on February 19, with the medals decided on the following day.

He has been training with the team - which is based at a specialist training facility in Bath - for the last four years.

Cool Runnings was inspired by the 1988 team founded by then pilot Dudley Tal Stokes, who went on to compete for Jamaica at three further Winter Olympic events in 1992, 1994 and in 1998 - setting a world record at his third.