Bronson Hearn-Smith has never been one for blending into the crowd.
The distinctive glasses. The mop of curly hair. The impossibly fluid sprinting style that makes it look as though he's gliding down the track rather than attacking it at full speed.
Now, after storming to the European U18 200m title in Rieti in a championship record of 20.70, the British teenager has another reason to stand out.
His first international championships also happened to be his first trip outside the UK.
"I was scared of the flight coming in," Hearn-Smith admitted with a smile. "Once we landed, I was all fine, happy with the experience, and then I focused my attention back to the athletics.
"I've enjoyed it a lot. There's a lot of things I've had to overcome over the past few days, but I've got past them. I'm in such a better place than where I was and it's just so much valuable experience I've learned to take away for future competitions."
For most teenagers, a first holiday abroad would be memorable enough. For Hearn-Smith, it ended with the biggest victory of his young career.
Raised in Tiptree in South West England, the 16-year-old had never ventured beyond the UK before arriving in Italy.
"I mean, we had trials in Wales, which I wouldn't say counts," he joked. "Apart from that, yeah, never been abroad. Not even on holiday."
It hardly showed.
After an underwhelming heat by his own standards (3rd in 21.37), Hearn-Smith found another level. He produced a personal best in the semi-final (20.89) before taking full advantage of lane eight in the final, where his long stride and relaxed running style carried him to an emphatic victory.
"When I found out I was in lane eight in the final, I knew there was something big about to happen," he said. "I didn't think that big at all."
Not jogging
Part of what makes Hearn-Smith such a fascinating prospect is how different he looks from almost every other sprinter.
Where most athletes appear to be straining for every metre, Hearn-Smith seems almost effortless.
"It's really fluid, my technique," he explained. "I can see it myself. But the actual thing is, I'm trying. My muscles are working as hard as they can. It might look like I'm jogging, but I'm really not. I'm sprinting."
His biomechanics have become something of a trademark, although Hearn-Smith insists much of it comes naturally.
"To be honest, it comes naturally to me. I haven't had to work that hard on being able to execute my mechanics so far, but going into under-20s I'm definitely going to have to pinpoint some areas where my mechanics can be improved."
His appearance is equally distinctive.
Unable to wear contact lenses, he races in glasses, following the example of USA teenage sprint star Tate Taylor.
"I can't have contacts, to be honest with you. They just don't work in my eyes," he explained. "You've got the likes of Tate Taylor, who wears the glasses, and he's a big inspiration to me.
"When I'm a little bit older, I'm looking to get laser eye surgery. But until then we've got to make it unique and distinctive."
Along with his curly hair, it's a look that has become instantly recognisable.
"You've got to stand out somehow, right?" he said. "I guess that's my way of doing it."
Viral fame
Long before winning European glory, Hearn-Smith had already become a familiar face to millions of athletics fans online.
A video of him racing at a regional competition before the age of 15 exploded across social media thanks to his unusually smooth sprint mechanics.
"It just blew up," he recalled. "It went viral on Instagram. It was like five million views, and then YouTube combined... we're talking 15 million.
"It's just a big spark due to my technique."
For many young athletes, viral fame can bring unwanted pressure. Hearn-Smith appears to have embraced it, arriving in Rieti already recognised by many athletics fans despite never having represented Great Britain before.
One step at a time
Despite his rapid rise, Hearn-Smith remains refreshingly grounded.
He describes himself as "very average" when he first took up athletics after discovering his speed at a primary school sports day.
"Everyone knew I was the fastest person in primary school, which was a big flex," he laughed. "But my progress has really been around the last three years."
Away from the track, athletics dominates his life. Training, gym sessions and recovery fill most of his days, while his girlfriend Grace, also an athlete, understands the commitment required to compete at the highest level.
His ambitions are equally measured. Rather than talking about medals on the global stage, Hearn-Smith's immediate focus is simply becoming a regular on Great Britain's teams.
"I just want to be consistent with these GB call-ups," he said. "This is my first one. I couldn't go to Mannheim because of my GCSEs (exams).
"I just want to consistently keep getting these qualification times, medalling at big championships as well, and just continue my career in little baby steps."
Rieti has also given him a taste for travelling.
"I've enjoyed it so much here," he said. "It's a beautiful country. It's a lot more mountainous than what I thought it'd be. There's a lot of mountains, but it just makes the place more aesthetically pleasing.
“I'd love to go abroad to all these different European countries, and maybe even more internationally... talking maybe USA."
If his first trip outside Britain is anything to go by, there should be plenty more occasions to take the passport out of the drawer.
And judging by the way he glides around the bend, seemingly without effort, there may also be many more medals to accompany it.