Injured athlete pleased with Mr England success (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Injured athlete pleased with Mr England success

AN athlete who made an incredible recovery after being beaten up by a gang of thugs in America is back in competition form after he came second in Mr England.

Injured athlete pleased with Mr England success

Chris Mulvaney’s promising athletics career was almost brought to a halt when he was involved in an unprovoked attack while walking out of a restaurant in Indiana, USA.

The incident left 25-year-old Chris in a coma and almost cost him his life.

Unable to train, but determined to make a competitive comeback, Chris decided to enter Mr England in a bid to be crowned the country’s most desirable man.

He came second in his first attempt at the competition, which is a male spin-off from the renowned Miss England beauty contest.

He said: “I wanted to show that whatever happens in life, you can come back and be successful.

“I thought this would be a great chance to come back and succeed at something again.

“I’m quite pleased to have come second, but I would’ve liked to have won, obviously.

“I’ve never done anything like this before, so it was a new experience for me.

“The lad that won has been doing it for a few years, so I’ll be back next time.

“I’m used to not giving up until I’ve achieved what I want to achieve.”

Mr England, held in London on Monday, involves posing in evening wear and swimwear, as well as an interview round in which contestants are encouraged to show their personality.

The winner goes on to represent England in Mr World, with a chance of claiming the top $50,000 (£32,000) prize.

Chris, from Chapeltown, is a former 1,500 metre British champion and was preparing to challenge for a place at the 2004 Olympics in Athens when the USA attack happened.

He is also a model for a range of different clothing companies and sportswear lines, and he is currently single.