Karate sisters eye Olympic dream after being selected for world championships

Holly and Sadie Stoner will represent England at the Senior Karate World Championships in Madrid next month.

The championship places the athletes at the pinnacle of Karate, with both ranking within the top three in the country.

Holly, 19 and Sadie,16, who are from East Boldon, are part of the National Karate Association and train throughout the North East and Yorkshire with their club and also on a national level with the England Squad.

To help their bid towards gold the pair are looking to raise £1,200 to cover travel and accommodation costs for the championships and are hopeful in finding support from a local business.

While having one sibling competing on a national level is rare, the family have two exceptional talents eyeing for Olympic stardom.

Holly said: “Both Sadie and I can’t wait to travel to Madrid next month and take part in the Karate World Championships, it’s an honour to represent our country at such a high level.

"Sharing this experience with my sister makes the whole experience that extra special and we hope our story inspires more young girls to take up the sport.”