GREECE is the word for Alisha Butterworth, who will head to the continent to represent England in the Muay Thai Championships next month.

The 12-year-old first took up the sport at the age of five and trains four-to-five times each week. Her honed skills have now seen her selected for the England team which will fight for glory in Greece on May 31.

Alisha, who attends St James' CE School in Farnworth, was initially introduced to the sport by her father, Ronnie, who noticed a sign that read ‘bully proof your child’ which led to Alisha taking her first steps in the sport at Walkden Thai Boxing.

From there, she moved on to Little Hulton-based Scorpion Peel Thai Boxing in a bid to advance her fighting skills.

Since the switch, Alisha has won two belts, the Awakening Championship and British Open title, as well as winning a Northern Sandee Champion Glove.

With 13 win from the 20 fights she has under her belt she recently felt confident enough to put herself forward for trials for the England team to fight at the World Championships.

After initial sessions in Swinton, she was asked to attend the area trials in Birmingham, and after two hours of training and sparring, Alisha was told she had been successful and was off to Greece to fight for the England team.

The high school pupil described the pride she felt as she received the news as ‘something that will never leave her’.

Alisha’s role model is Dakota Ditcheva who is the current British Muay Thai champion at 18 years old.

She loves watching the three-time world champion fight and aims one day to be as good as, if not better, than her and one day even face off against the champion.