Dwain Chambers in city to promote book

Mar 19 2009 by Lorne Jackson, Birmingham Mail

SHERRELLE Gordon is close to tears.

Tears of joy or tears of terror? The 24-year-old from Erdington isn’t entirely sure.

Besides, its almost impossible to concentrate on tears and fears, especially now her stomach has started churning like an industrial washing machine. However, the tourism student isn’t suffering from something as commonplace as butterflies in the stomach. This ferocious fluttering is more like a Pterodactyl in the tum.

All because, in less than five seconds, Sherrelle will meet her hero, champion sprinter, Dwain Chambers. Or should that be disgraced sprinter, Dwain Chambers?

Earlier this month, the British athlete cruised to victory in the 60 metres at the European Indoor Championships. Usually this would be cause for a heady dose of national chest-thumping and boulevard swaggering.

But Chambers is also a former cheat, who served an athletics ban for taking performance-enhancing drugs.

“That was in the past,” says Sherrelle, with a frown. “Everybody makes mistakes, but some people won’t let Dwain forget his.

“What’s more important is that he’s an amazing athlete who worked really hard to get where he is, now.”

And where is that, exactly? Well, it was Borders book shop in the Bullring, where he was signing copies of his autobiography, Race Against Me.

Roughly 30 fans, including Sherrelle, waited patiently in the queue.