It was a view shared by other senior athletes.
At the age of 16 Shelley threw 52m50 and became a senior international athlete.
For these senior athletes, confessing their years is less important than winning medals.
The 2006 season saw him establish himself as a senior athlete.
The 2010 season saw him established himself as a senior athlete.
These categories were divided into male and female for senior athletes (over 18 years old).
He is the first male 800 m runner in British history to win national titles at under 15, 17, 20 and as a senior athlete.
In 2010, he faltered in his first year as a senior athlete.
His first major win as a senior athlete came at the 2005 European Cup.
It also secures a place on the all-time top list for senior athletes.