FOURTEEN-year-old Kate Walker saw off much older players to win a place in the British young women's judo squad for U-19s.
The Far Forest-based Midlands number one, who competes for Samurai Judo Club, will be bidding for a British junior gold this year to continue her impressive progress.
Four performances stood out for Kate in 2003 with silvers at the Lommel Open in Belgium and the Kent International as well as bronze at the Heart of England Championships and the British youth trials.
She also won golds at various other events in England, took a silver in the British Kata Championships with brother Tom and was voted best Midlands junior referee.
Samurai coaching co-ordinator Andrew Haffner said: "Over the last few years she has been very successful but this year I felt that she could, if she wanted to, start to really seriously train for top level. She jumped at the chance."
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