A FLEDGLING female boxer has picked up some tips from an Olympian.

Natasha Jonas, who won a gold medal in the inaugural GB Amateur Boxing Championships in 2010, visited pupils at Accrington Academy to give them advice on how to make it as a top athlete.

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And 16-year-old Bria Fielding, who aspires to be a professional boxer when she leaves school, said she was delighted to be able to hone her skills with the star.

Bria, who is in year 11 and will sit her GCSE exams this summer, said: “We went over boxing techniques and talked about things I could improve on.

“Natasha helped me with my second phase attack and foot work.

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“I really took it all on board and it was really exciting to meet Natasha. It was a fantastic opportunity to listen to and learn from her experiences in the ring, which will help me with my boxing ambitions.”

Bria has recently returned from Serbia where she represented England in the fourth Nations Cup, a European international women’s boxing tournament.

Natasha visited the academy in a bid to inspire students to get involved in sport as part of Sky Sport’s Living for Sport programme. She is an athlete mentor for the programme.

The visit was also arranged in conjunction with the Youth Sport Trust Combat Hub.

Natasha first started boxing eight years ago, when her dedication and determination saw her shed 4kg to enter the 60kg class of the European Union Championships in 2009, where she went on to win the gold medal.

She was the first female British boxer to qualify for an Olympic Games, taking part in the 2012 London games.

Natasha has recently retired from the sport.

During her time at Accrington Academy, Natasha worked with groups of students to show them the importance of having a goal and working towards it.

She said: “Sport filled a void in my life, gave me direction, focus and the scope to see that I am in control of my own destiny. I strongly believe that it can also have the same positive effects for the young people we are meeting across the country.”