ENGLAND Women’s Karate Team captain Carla Burkitt is the new gym manager at Bradford Hospitals’ fitness centre.

The 27-year-old who hopes to go for Gold in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics headed North from home in Luton to be nearer the team’s Silsden-based coach Paul Newby.

As well as working part-time in the gym keeping hospital staff trim, she is training six days a week in a bid to achieve her dream and bring medals home in three years time when the sport is in the Olympics for the first time.

Carla, who became a black belt at the age of 10 and is ranked 50th in the world, lives with her coach’s family training alongside his son Jordan Thomas, the current world karate champion in the men’s -67kg category.

She is focusing on upping her ranking by competing in karate Premier League events across Europe with the German Open in Leipzig coming up next in September before the Austrian Open in Salzburg in October.

“It’s about pushing for Tokyo and improving my ranking. I have to compete at as many international meets as I can afford to attend. If I get into the top 20 I will be up there at the right level and in with a good chance of qualifying for the Olympics,” she said.

To qualify for the Olympics she needs to get to as many competitive events as possible so needs to secure more sponsorship.

Carla, who was picked to fight for the England team for the first time in 2009 and competes in the women’s -55kg category, also has her sights set on getting more members signed up to the fitness centre and possibly putting on some yoga and pilates sessions. “A lot of staff know we are here but I want to make the fitness centre somewhere you want to be,” she said.

Anyone wanting to help support Carla’s Olympic dreamcan contact her at carla.burkitt@bthft.nhs.uk