A Carlisle karate student has won a gold and silver medal at the North East Open. 

11-year-old Katie Arnold, fighting out of Carlisle's B5 Martial Arts Academy, won the medals at the competition which took place on Sunday, November 10 at the East Durham College in Peterlee. 

At the event, which is open to clubs and associations nationwide and attracts talented competitors from all over the UK, Katie competed in the Kumite event which pits Karate practitioners against each other in a knock-out style tournament.

On her road to success, Katie secured three victories on the way to the final in the individual category to win the silver medal and followed that up with a strong performance in the team Kumite, coming away with the gold medal. 

Esther Beales, instructor at B5 Martial Arts Academy and Katie's mentor said: "It is a proud moment for me to see Katie pushing her training further and enjoying Karate competitively. 

"Katie has been with B5 since she was four years old and has basically grown up on the mats, so to see her now starting to enter competition could be the inspiration some of the younger students latch onto in the near future too. 

"Karate is a martial art that not only delivers effective striking techniques, but builds a students discipline, focus, and confidence. 

"B5 is always welcoming new students and like Katie, they too could thrive on the benefits of Karate."

Katie returns to the mats next weekend in Manchester looking to make it double gold in preparation for a strong competitive season in 2025.