BRADFORD'S Katie Hawthorn, who did not make it onto the Great Britain wrestling team for the 2012 London Olympics, is now making her name for herself in the United States.

The 23-year-old, who competes at 116kg, is due to graduate in criminology from Campbellsville University, Kentucky next May, has been stateside for five years, starting her studies at Lindenwood University in Missouri before leaving in 2013 to tour America on a gap year.

Campbellsville are in in the top three female collegiate wrestling teams in the country under coach Lee Miracle.

Bradford Amateur Wrestling Club member Katie, a member of a prominent Bradford wrestling family, was English under-21 women's national champion at 48kg in 2012 at Bolton, and earlier that year was fifth in the British Senior Championships in Sheffield.

Previously she had twice won an international open tournament in Aspull, near Wigan – in 2011 at junior 48kg and in 2006 at under-16 38kg, despite being only 13, while in 2005 Katie was national champion at girls' 33kg.

In 2004, she won an international competition in Slough at schoolgirls' 27kg, while she had earlier won the Welsh Open at 31kg and, in 2002, she was English champion at 11 years' 26kg at Croydon.

Katie, who took about 18 months out of the sport as a 15-year-old, has also appeared on BBC children's magazine programme Blue Peter as an 11-year-old, with presenters Simon Thomas and Liz Barker.

Katie's brothers Brett and Tommy have also wrestled – elder brother Brett was on a scholarship at Kentucky University four years ago – while their dad Jimmy is a two-time World Championship bronze medallist and ran Bradford Amateur Wrestling Club from a gym in Greengates, while they are now based at Fulinkasan MMA Club on Sunbridge Road and New Cross Road in Idle.