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Cookridge teenage sprint star follows in Dame Kelly's Olympic footsteps
Teenage athlete Joanna Kitson has set out her plan to emulate her heroine Dame Kelly Holmes with military precision.
The 17-year-old has long dreamed of running in the golden footsteps of the double Olympic gold medal winner.
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Joanna trains up to four times a day for the 800m in the hope of reaching the 2012 London Olympics.
Now the former Ralph Thoresby School pupil is heading even further down the same career path as Dame Kelly... by joining the army.
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She enlisted at the Leeds armed forces careers office as a Combat Human Resources Specialist.
Her duties will include finance and human resources, with the opportunity to travel the world to British embassies and high commissions in places including Jamaica, Mexico City and New York.
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Dame Kelly was 17 when she started her 10-year army career as a lorry driver and then physical training instructor, before leaving the forces to become a full-time athlete.
Joanna told Horsforth Today: "I joined the Army for the fantastic career prospects and personal development opportunities.
"Because sport is a big part of Army life my career will allow me to continue training for the Olympics."
Joanna has been a keen athlete since she was ten. The former Pudsey and Bramley Athletics Club member is currently returning from injury and is being coached by her dad, Christopher Pawson.
She added: "I am so focused on making it to 2012 but it's great peace of mind knowing that the Army will provide me with qualifications that are mine for life.
"To be able to fit all of this into one job is something that not many people can say about their careers."
Warrant Officer Class Two Steve Harriman, senior recruiter at the Leeds office said: "Joanna has a steely determination to succeed in her sport and this dedication also transfers to the Army and the qualities needed to succeed.
"I have no doubt that she will be an asset to her regiment and the Army.
"The Army incorporates sport to help with physical development, team building, morale and welfare and can therefore provide the ideal balance of an active lifestyle and progressive career that so many young men and women are keen to combine."
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Weather for Leeds
Tuesday 22 May 2012
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Temperature: 9 C to 22 C
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