A budding athlete has set her sights on Rio 2016 after a promising start to her sporting career.

Jodie Williams, 21, who lives in Napsbury Park, St Albans, is a 100m and 200m sprinter determined to represent GB in the Olympics.

Jodie first had a taste of athletics aged 11 after joining her local club, Herts Phoenix Athletic club.

She quickly worked her way up through the ranks, becoming the World Youth Champion for the 100 and 200 metre sprints in 2009.

Jodie said: “My PE teacher said to go down to my local club. I always knew I was fast, I was in Year 3 and I won a race by 50m, so that was a bit of an indicator.

“So I went to the club and that was it, I went from winning national competitions to world championships. I can’t see a career in anything else.”

A highlight for Jodie was when she competed in the Commonwealth Games last year, winning a silver medal in the 200m.

She said: “It was amazing, it was my first professional medal. It was my first multi sport event too, so it was really great getting to spend time with people from different sports.

“The whole atmosphere was incredible. It was one of the best moments of my life.”

After such huge success, Jodie has high hopes of representing GB in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

She said: “Three people get to go for each discipline. There’s quite a few of us that are going for it.

“We’re the last sport to find out, but I’m hoping I’ve got a good chance.”

Jodie will find out whether she will be representing GB in July this year at the Olympic trials.

For now, she will continue to train six times a week in five hour sessions, including weekly training at local gym Westminster Lodge.

Everyone Active general manager, Lesley Garner, said: “She has the capability and mentality to get to the top and we wanted to give her the resources to help her reach her goals. We wish Jodie all the best for the future and her upcoming season.”