A teenage girl from Ystrad Mynach has been mixing it with boys bigger and older than her, as she strives to reach the highest echelons of ice hockey.
Charlotte Harris, 13, trains four times a week for clubs up and down the UK, with the goal of one day getting a prestigious scholarship to pull on her skates in Canada.
The Lewis Girls’ School pupil plays ice hockey for Cardiff Devils under-15s, England Girls under-14s, Bracknell Girls under-16s and Great Britain under-16s, and also heads north to Sheffield and Rotherham to figure for their inline hockey teams.
Charlotte’s travelling isn’t restricted to the UK either, as she prepares to compete in Prague, Czech Republic, with England Boys under-14s as the only girl on the team.
Charlotte’s mother, Melanie Lapping, finds the value in racking up the miles. She said: “It can be quite hectic, going to all these different clubs, but it’s what Charlotte wants to do and she’s very committed.
“She first got inspired when a representative from Cardiff Devils did a session at the school, and she came home and nagged us to let her start playing, so we took her along to Caerphilly Comets.”
Melanie, a teacher in Blaenau Gwent, added: “She likes playing mixed matches with the boys because of the contact involved. I’m getting used to the thought of her playing.
“I used to turn away and cringe in fear of her getting injured but she’s not afraid to give as good as she gets off the boys.”