AFTER only nine months in training, a young Sale girl has won Individual Sports Performer of the year in the Trafford School Sports awards for her recent success as an inline skater.

Eight-year-old, Ava Flannigan, from Brooklands Primary School was nominated for the award by her school and on November 2 was shortlisted and presented the award by the Trafford Schools Sports Partnership.

In June, then aged seven, Ava became the World Inline Skating Champion in the Under 9s 4th Division at the World Inline Skating Championships in Dijon, France.

Ava only started to train as an inline skater in February this year and was the youngest skater in the competition.

She started ice-skating when she was four-years-old after her mother, Carolyn took her along as something to do. Ava instantly took the ice and has skated ever since and from this allowed her to become world champion inline skater.

Carolyn said: "She just loves skating and she was so thrilled to win the award. I am so proud of her. The club and the support there is brilliant. Even though it is an individual sport, the team really work hard together, and her coach is amazing -Ava wouldn't be able to do it without them."

Ava skates around four times and week and one day a week inline skating with her team Silver Blades Inline.

Her coach in both sports, Donna McCarthy said: "I’m so proud of her, she had loads of energy and enthusiasm which she brings to everything she does from training, to exhibition skates and to competing. I’m very proud of her for winning this award; its lovely to see all her hard work being recognised in this way."

Ava also recently performed solo during the interval of Manchester Storm Ice Hockey game on Halloween and is already hard in training for next year's World Championships, due to be held in Cork. Her score in June this year was so high it means she will move up a category.