TOTTINGTON High School pupil Hannah Gayne swapped academic success for Olympic glory as she earned a gold medal in Boccia.
Hannah (14) travelled to Greenbank Sports Academy in Liverpool to join a record number of competitors at the National Boccia Championships where she played three games, winning 3-2, 3-2 and 8-0, to collect gold.
Hannah, who suffers from weakness in her right side, was crowned the Merseyside Special Olympics First Invitational Winner 2005 in the popular disabled game which is based on bowls but with the balls thrown down a tube to get them as close as possible to the target ball.
The achievements did not stop there, with Hannah also representing the North West of England in the English Disabled Sports Championships. The teenager was invited to compete at the event by Jigsaw, Bury's disabled sports and social group, where she managed to win her first race and finish second in the next, helping the region to a record number of points in swimming. Tottington High staff member Joyce Kinsey said: "Hannah's only disappointment this year was that, although she won all her races, she didn't get an award - something the organisers should think about next year!
"She intends to try more sports next year."
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