YOUNG swimmer Charlotte Shaw had yet another brilliant day in her burgeoning career as she won her first ever national final last month and got to meet her hero, Olympic star Adam Peaty.

Nine-year-old Charlotte helped her club, Leeds City Sharks, clinch gold at Northampton's Corby International Pool, and was ecstatic that Peaty, an Olympic champion in the 100m breaststroke, was presenting their medal to them.

She was part of the Girls 9yrs 4x25m Freestyle Relay and, along with her three teammates, achieved a record time of 1:01.66.

The swimming club claimed overall team victory with a highly impressive 28 wins from 49 races.

Charlotte, a pupil at Hipperholme Grammar School in Halifax, is an ambitious swimmer, who is keen to compete at the highest level, and her recent results suggest that she is well on her way to achieving that dream.

The youngster was successful at the weekend, as she competed in the Yorkshire Team Championships in Sheffield.

She took part in two races with her team, which were the 200m Medley Relay and 200m Freestyle Relay. They won both convincingly.

She also took home two gold medals and a silver in the ISA National Swimming finals earlier this season where she competed as part of her school team.

Additionally, Charlotte has picked up nine medals at Leeds swimming galas this season, including four golds. She had been part of teams in Brighouse and Bradford, but has stepped up a level with her move to the Sharks.

For someone of such a young age, her commitment is admirable. She trains five times a week as well as being fully immersed in her studies.

Charlotte's headteacher has spoken of her admiration for the Year Five pupil, saying: “We can’t wait to see how Charlotte develops as she works towards her ambitions of becoming an Olympic swimmer – we have every faith in her ability.”

The youngster enjoys the social aspect of the sport too though, saying in an interview: "I enjoy that you get to interact with different people." However, she also confessed that she likes the fact that "if you do well, you can get medals!"