Willow climbing the gymnastics tree

'Little Miss Dynamite' Willow-Mae Calland has taken another step up the gymnastics elite ladder.

She came away from her first English Championships in Telford with her head held high and close to grabbing a medal.

The South Devon School of Gymnastics 11-year-old was one of the youngest gymnasts competing in the tough event.

She finished 19th overall in a field of 52 from all over the country.

Willow-Mae, who attends Torquay Academy and lives in Shiphay, Torquay, also finished fifth with her new floor routine, just a few marks off the bronze medal.

She now goes on to compete in the even tougher British Championships in Liverpool in a couple of weeks time.

She will be competing against athletes from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

But she will be brimming with confidence after Telford and hopes are high that she will eventually be selected for the Great Britain Aspire squad, the pathway which leads to the full TeamGB squad - a pathway which led to clubmate and friend Abi Martin competing in last year's OIympics.