The sponsorship money has been donated by hearing aid professional and manufacturers Widex.

Lauren, from East Lothian, said: "I was totally shocked when I found out I was getting the sponsorship money. It will help with my travelling costs for going to competitions around the world. I am really lucky because I have got to travel to lots of places that I would otherwise never have seen.

"My main goals are the London Olympics in 2012 and the Commonwealth Games in 2014. My aim is to turn professional and to make it to the Olympics."

Lauren has had hearing problems since birth. But her condition was only discovered when she was four. Though her twin brother Ross has perfect hearing, doctors found she only had 20 per cent hearing in both ears.

Her running talent was spotted during a school cross-country run when she was nine and since then, Lauren has not looked back.

She holds the European deaf 800m and 1500m records. In mainstream competition, when she wears hearing aids in both ears, Lauren has won the Scottish 1500m title five times in a row in her age group.

But she said: "I can only hear the gun very faintly, so I usually watch the starting gun, or the feet of other competitors so I know when to go."

Mum Anne is convinced that Lauren has what it takes to be a star: "She loves running so much because there are no barriers there. It doesn't matter that she is deaf and there is nothing to hold her back.

Lauren hopes that her success will encourage other deaf people to get involved in athletics. She wants anyone who is interested to visit the Deaf UK Athletics website at www.deafukathletics.org.uk