Walker ready for senior challenge

Walker is ranked second at senior level in Great Britain at Under 63kg.

Worcestershire teenager Kate Walker says she is looking forward to her first year competing on the senior judo circuit.

The 19-year-old from Kidderminster has competed in a number of senior tournaments as a junior.

She told BBC Hereford and Worcester those past experiences should help her.

"It won't be such a big shock but it certainly will be an important year and an important next few years to develop and become a good senior player."

Walker had a successful time as a junior and was ranked number one at national level for a number of years.

She also competed in three European Junior Championships where she came seventh on two occasions.

After being a reserve for the 2008 Beijing Olympics she says her focus now is the London Olympics for which she has been a member of the development squad for two years.

"It's getting a lot more serious because you start to get into the 2012 cycle, so that is definitely the aim which is rapidly approaching."

When you get into a competition it's a different kind of judo and you've got to be able to deal with the the pressure and the people watching you

Kate Walker

Walker combines her judo training with a full time pharmacy degree at the University of Bath and says competing is as important as the training.

"You can train on a judo mat every day but when you get into a competition it's a different kind of judo and you've got to be able to deal with the the pressure and the people watching you."

She has outlined the Under 23 European Championships as her main aim for 2009 but is keen to build her experience at ranking events both at home and abroad between now and then.