Abbie-Jane Mansell may only just qualify for the 14 to 17-year-olds category in her chosen sport of Karate, but that did not stop her from coming home from the European Championships in Belgium with three gold medals.
14-year-old Abbie-Jane, from Hill Top took part in the individual, pairs and team events, striking gold each time, so it is no surprise that Abbie-Jane has been awarded one of Sandwell Council’s ‘Gifted and Talented’ grant awards.
Councillor Richard Marshall, who chairs the Gifted and Talented grant awards panel, said ‘Abbie-Jane is obviously so committed to her sport and I have to say the control and discipline a sport like karate requires mean that Abbie-Jane works very hard and shows a great deal of determination to have already achieved so much.
We hope Abbie-Jane continues to excel at the top level and Sandwell council is pleased to support Abbie-Jane and her family. This is what we are all about doing, helping our young people who are achieving at the highest level.’
As Karate is now a recognised Olympic sport Abbie-Jane, who goes to school at Sandwell Academy has set her sights on aiming for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Abbie-Jane who trains twice a week at the Moose Martial Arts Academy, in West Bromwich under Sensi (or coach) Shannon Parsons, as well as training with the full England squad. Shannon has also represented England at full international level, before turning to coaching along with a career in the police.
Abbie-Jane has just been selected to compete in the next European Championships in Sardinia in October and will be representing England again in December at a team tournament in Rotterdam. Next year Abbie-Jane is targetting the 2018 World Championships in Leicester.
Sandwell Council’s ‘Gifted and Talented’ programme is still open to applications having been specifically set up to provide financial support to elite young athletes living in the Borough. Anyone living in Sandwell and competing at top level can visit the webpage www.sandwell.gov.uk/giftedandtalented for more information about grants available to support Sandwell’s top young athletes.
