A TALENTED teenage karate ace has kicked off 2020 with some major success.

Aria Pascual from Saltcoats won a bronze medal in the Under-21 Female Kata event at the Austrian Champions Cup , which attracted competitors from Austria, Germany, Scotland, Poland, Switzerland, Denmark, Italy, Finland and Czech Republic. The former Ardrossan Academy pupil is studying Sports Science at Stirling University. She is a member of the JKS Karate association and the Scottish National Team and trains in JKS clubs in Stewarton and Dunfermline plus the potential Max Potential gym in Ardrossan. She competes at an event in Ireland on Fehruary 1 and the European Championships in Budapest the following week.