Radford ready for her British squad tester (From Malvern Gazette)

Radford ready for her British squad tester

12:20pm Sunday 24th January 2010

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A TEENAGE Malvern Fencing Club star kicks off her busy year of actiion next week representing Great Britain in Sweden.

Amy Radford is due to wear British colours one more time at cadet and junior level at the end of January in Gteborg, before she takes on Europe’s best in Athens in March, and the rest of the world in Baku, Azerbaijan during April for the respective Cadet European and World Championships.

At just 15-years-old, she is already one of the top-ranked seniors in the country at the sport of fencing.

She was already a junior commonwealth team champion and an individual medallist, as well as being a multiple British champion.

But the 2009/2010 season, which began in September, has seen her add to her ranking points and to the trophy collection in her parents living room.

Radford, who is studying for her GCSEs at Haybridge High School in Hagley, travels to Malvern every week to train at the club with her coach Matt Haynes, who then makes the return journey to deliver private lessons throughout the season.

The ever-growing Malvern club is no stranger to success with many of the junior fencers having captured youth British titles over the last few years.

It even boosts a former world champion at veteran level.

Radford, however, is in the process of rewriting the record books.

She was both individual and team gold medallist at the UK School Games in September.

At senior level she has already won the Shropshire Open, the Bill Hoskyns Open, and the Hereford and Worcester Open, as well as placing in the final tableau, at the 2009 Welsh and London Opens.

She was also the runner-up in the British Under 20 selection event.

Despite carrying an injury, she delivered back-to-back medals at the Cadet and Junior National Championships in October.

After a brief recovery period she produced the top British result at the Heidenheim International event to take the number one spot on the British cadet rankings.

Last year ended with Radford not only topping the cadet ranking, but also maintaining a senior rank of ninth.

She was also part of the West Midlands team that finished first in the Junior Winton Cup as she finished unbeaten over the competition.

Radford was joined by team-mates Lucy Henshall, Gaby Kettle and Izzie Smith.

This year holds great promise for the future as Radford will start to compete at the Senior World Cup level for the first time.

With her GCSEs on the horizon, fencing will be on a break for a few months after April.

But, come June, she will be back in full-time training with her focus firmly on the British Senior Championship in July and the start of the 2010/2011 season and a real chance of bringing international gold to Britain.

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