A TALENTED Renfrewshire girl has been selected for Great Britain’s Climbing National Development Squad after bouncing back from serious injury.
Ava Hamilton, 12, battled against 14 other girls for one of only three remaining spots in the Girls Youth (2007-2008) category and is the only Scot to make it into the group.
Established in 2017, the GB Climbing National Development Squad provides a pathway for gifted young climbers, propelling them from national to international competitions within the sport and the wider climbing world, with the selection event taking place at Awesome Walls Sheffield and the Depot Climbing Centre, in Sheffield earlier this month.
As part of the squad, Kilbarchan youngster Ava will be encouraged to develop into a well-rounded athlete and become better equipped to take on international competition and the wider world of rock climbing, with all the elements it entails.
Ava, who is a pupil at Kelvinside Academy, said: “I have been climbing since I was seven and I love it. I broke my arm badly last year and couldn’t climb for six months, so I am very proud of myself for making the GB team.
“I really enjoy competing and, with lots of Nationals and Internationals next year, I can’t wait to get started.”
With climbing recently confirmed as an Olympic sport for the first time at Tokyo 2020 next summer, the GB Climbing National Development squad is strictly for elite athletes and is made up of four junior categories, with six places in each category per gender, equating to 48 places in total.
This year, Scotland successfully secured eight spots in the national squad.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article