A Coombeshead College, Newton Abbot, student, recently accepted into the England judo squad, has her sights set on the Olympics.

Brown belt Hannah Barley, 16, of Hewett Close, Buckland, says she has many stages to get through before she can even hope to achieve her dream.

On Sunday, Hannah, a member of Torquay Judokwai, is competing at the England Open Championships at Crystal Palace for the first time. She has no idea who she will be pitted against until she gets there and weighs in.

She told the Advertiser that, before a competition, she trains hard then rests and eats pasta and energy drinks to get her sugar levels up.

'You do get nervous, but as soon as you bow on, your nerves go.

'You prepare yourself for different throws you've got in your head. Some of the girls I've fought against in other competitions, so you know how they're going to fight.'

Her training timetable certainly requires a lot of commitment – hers and her family's.

After school on Monday and Friday she trains in Torquay, on Wednesdays she goes to the England training session in Plymouth and some Thursdays there are training sessions in Kingsbridge.

There are competitions lined up through the summer all over the country.

Hannah, who was voted Devon Judo Coaches' Player of the Year, started at the WBB Judo Club at just six and started competing at eight. Younger sister, Emma, ten, has also got the judo bug.

Proud mum Kerry Lloyd said: 'It's brilliant. I am over the moon. She has worked really hard to get there. Her ambition is to get to the Olympics. Me, her dad and her gran, we're all really proud of her. Her family's behind her.'

Gran Vera Luscombe said: 'We're frantically looking for funding because everything is so expensive – travelling to training or competitions and overnight stays because the weigh-in is very early – 8.30am – and she needs her rest.'

To reach one competition in Sheffield the family set off at 3am, with Hannah trying to get some sleep in the car.

'We're proud, we shout for her. She doesn't always win because she has a lot to learn but we're still proud of her.'