A MOTHER and daughter are fighting their way to the podium after attaining their 1st degree black belts together.

Lisa Rose and her 15-year-old daughter Lucy are developing an impressive track record after taking up taekwondo as a duo just four years ago.

The pair began the sport as a hobby but have already competed in several national competitions and recently attained their 1st Degree black belt.

St Gabriel’s RC High School pupil Lucy is also a black belt in karate — a feat she accomplished aged 11 under instructor Claire Searle.

Lisa, aged 43 from Tottington, said: “Once Lucy achieved her karate black belt I thought it would be a great idea to take up an activity together, so we could share and grow together.”

The former Old Hall Primary School teacher added: “I had no idea that it would become such a deep-rooted passion and something we both wanted to excel in.”

The competitive pair have won a number of trophies at national tournaments, including the Welsh, Lincolnshire and Scottish Championships, in sparring and pattern categories.

Lucy has also won the prestigious Best in Grading 2019 — the highest accolade that any taekwondo student can receive at her level. She went head to head against 500 students, including men, women and juniors, from across the country.

To top off their successes, at the last tournament of the year, the British Championships held in Worcester, both mum and daughter clinched gold metals for sparring as black belts and were crowned champions.

They train twice weekly at Bury Tae Kwon-do Association of Great Britain (TAGB), and twice weekly at Bradford TAGB club.

They also attend the national team squad training session each Saturday morning at Loughborough University.

“Not in a million years did I think that we would achieve what we have done over the past four years”, Lisa said.

Her training for the sport takes place outside her work running her own business Digs for Dogs, which she set up in 2016.