A YOUNG Darlington gymnast has high hopes of representing her country at the Junior European Championships.

Amy Fossheim, 13, hopes the event will be a springboard to the 2008 Olympic Games.

Amy, who attends Hurworth School Computing and Maths College, is a member of the national junior squad, from which the European team is chosen.

She is also a member of the World Class Potential group, which trains athletes identified as having the potential to win medals for Great Britain.

She trains at the South Durham Gymnastics Club under coaches Nicola Preston and Rachel Wright, and attends regular junior squad training sessions at the National Training Centre, in Lilleshall, Staffordshire.

She said: "I've been training since I was little and it is really fun. Once you are there you always want to do more of it.

"The squad I'm in now has a lot of training sessions and whoever does the best gets to go to the junior Europeans, but my main ambition is to go to the Olympics in 2008."

Her achievements include winning the British Championships for her age three times.

Amy's achievements this year include: Selection for the national junior squad; competing in team competitions in Guildford for South Durham; finishing first in the juniors section and fourth overall in a Great Britain versus Spain international; finishing second in the British schools competition; being awarded Master Gymnast status; being in the Great Britain team that won gold against the Netherlands and Germany; and finishing second overall in the British championships; and being in the Great Britain team that won bronze in the Acro tournament in Evian, France.

She is also a Darlington Young Sportswinner and Northern Echo Local Heroes Award winner.