PERSHORE teenager Sarah Ellis has been selected to represent Great Britain in the under 16 events of the French Marathon Championships at Reims on October 13 and 14.

Ellis, aged 14, a pupil at Malvern St James School, has been selected following her outstanding performances in the recent UK National Marathon and Sprint Kayaking Championships.

Having achieved a bronze medal in the kayak singles and gold in the Kayak pairs at the UK National U14 Girls Marathon Championships in August, Sarah won bronze in the kayak singles, silver in the kayak pairs and gold in the kayak four.

Ellis is one of only two U14 girls who have been selected for the U16 team of four competing in the October event.

She said: “All the hard work that I have put in over the last year with lots of training sessions and practice on perfecting my technique has paid off, with some great results in the recent UK National Age Group Championships.

“I am really looking forward to representing GB next month and taking on the French and also some other European junior paddlers.

“The races will be over eightmiles with three portages where I have to get out of my boat and run with it some distance before getting back in again.

“The school has given me fantastic support and encouragement, providing me with a personal trainer at lunchtimes and allowing me to leave early on some evenings for training.”