Carshalton kick-boxer Holly Howard is hoping to take on the world this summer in her biggest tournament to date, and she is only eight years old.
Howard is due to compete for England in the World Kickboxing & Karate Union (WKU) World Championships in August.
However, kickboxing is not granted UK Sport funding, and the burden of entry fees and equipment rests with the family.
Howard’s family must find £300 for the youngster to participate in the world championships, as well as another £300 for the Team England tracksuit and fighting suit, and Kwon protective gear.
Grandmother Debbie Francis said they are struggling to afford the mounting bill.
She said: “It would be a real shame if Holly could not participate.
“Representing her country at such a young age is an amazing achievement and we want her progress to continue.”
So fast it's a blur: Howard, right, in action
Howard trains with the Sutton Martial Arts Academy, and has done so since she was four years old.
Her rise to the national team has been rapid, and although Holly has been practising for two years it was only six months ago, due to age restrictions, that she took up the pads and started sparring.
Sutton Martial Arts Academy owner and instructor Angela Hebden said: “I knew from the moment Holly walked in that she’d be a champion.
“In 13 years of teaching I’ve never known an eight-year-old work so hard and achieve so much in such a short space of time.”
The WKU World Championships takes place from August 25 at Radisson Blu in Heathrow, Middlesex.
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