Congratulations to Ellie McManus who is now the British Weightlifting under 17s National Gold Medal Champion, with a total lift of 120kg. Ellie competed in the British Youth Championships on 3rd February in Luton, Bedfordshire.

Ellie has only been competing in weightlifting for a couple of years now. She has already gained multiple wins at Northern Championships, as well as gaining a Silver Medal at the British under 20s Championships - a category she still has some years left in.

While Ellie was playing rugby, she visited the gym regularly. During a gym session, an Olympic Weightlifting Coach invited her along to his gym and she quickly showed a natural talent and passion for weightlifting. Since then, she has gone from strength to strength, training 6 times a week, for 2-3 hours at a time. Her championship gold medal is a testament to the dedication and skill she has for the sport.

At Ashton Sixth Form College Ellie studies PE (Sports Science), Biology and Psychology. Her commitment to learning and training has shone due to her outstanding ability to achieve in her studies, consistently working to a high standard, alongside competing at a national level. She began her studies at Copley Academy.

Hear from Ellie McManus herself: