29 March 2016 14:41 PM
In 18 months Mannings Heath resident, Katrina Blackman, has gone from novice arm wrestler to qualifier in the World Armwrestling League`s world super finals in Las Vegas in June.
Care worker Katrina started arm wrestling in September 2014 and entered her first competition in Cambridge in February 2015. This nearly put a premature end to her arm wrestling career as she snapped her right arm whilst competing. After a week in hospital during which she had surgery to insert plates and pins to hold the arm together, she began to heal well and was back in training after three months.
By December 2015 she was fit enough to enter the British open, coming second with her injured arm and first with her left. In January this year the now British Champion entered the New Year Cup exactly repeating her December score.
Opportunity arrived to achieve even greater success when the World Armwrestling League for the first time offered European countries the chance to qualify in the world super finals. Katrina duly won in the UK qualifiers and then entered the European Super Qualifier held in the north of England last week. She came fourth with her right arm, but first with her left arm, thereby qualifying to compete for the £20000 prize in the Las Vegas finals.
âI can't believe I have made it through to Las Vegas, it's going to be such an amazing experience and a chance of a lifetimeâ, she told Hello Horsham. âIt's going to be very hard in the States. They have some amazingly powerful arm wrestlers, but I will do my best and give it my all. Just so happy to have this opportunityâ, she added
Picture: Katrina (right) winning the European Super Qualifier.
Tags: N/A
