A STUDENT from Penarth has been selected to be part of the Wales Volleyball squad at the 2017 School Games National Finals

Freja Foot, 14, is a student of St Cyres School and a member of Team South Wales.

She already has an impressive record of success playing above her age group with her club's under 18s team

The School Games are an integrated multi-sport event for the UK’s most talented school-age athletes and will take place at Loughborough University from August 31 to September 3.

Around 1,600 athletes will compete across 12 sports at the School Games, seven of which include disability disciplines. The four-day event is supported by National Lottery funding from Sport England and delivered by the Youth Sport Trust.

Freja will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of some of Britain’s biggest sporting stars who have competed at the School Games before going on to senior international success.

Previous competitors include Paralympic champions Hannah Cockroft, Ellie Simmonds and Jonnie Peacock, Olympic champion Adam Peaty, heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson and GB sprinter Adam Gemili.

The School Games are the springboard for future athletes with 56 of the 382 athletes representing Team GB at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio competed at the School Games.

At the event Freja will experience the excitement of competing at the highest level. She will live in a dedicated Athletes’ Village on the Loughborough University campus, take part in an opening ceremony and perform in front of huge crowds of spectators.

"My sister has played for the Wales School Games team before, so I can’t wait to get out there," said Freja.

"The School Games National Finals provide a great opportunity for talented young athletes like Freja,” says Ali Oliver, chief executive officer of the Youth Sport Trust.

"Competitors get a real taste of what it’s like to be part of a world-class sporting event at the amazing sporting venues of Loughborough University, and the event is a great way to see our future sporting champions in action today."

Tickets for the event are available at www.ticketsource.co.uk/2017schoolgames.