EPEE fencer Leonora Mackinnon will realise her Olympic dream, after qualifying for this summer’s Rio Olympics.

The Basingstoke-born 21-year-old lives at East End, on the north Hampshire border and due to her dual nationality will be representing Canada in Brazil.

Mackinnon started her journey to Rio, picking up a foil at the age of eight, while a pupil at Cheam School and soon found epee was her forte. At only 14 she was the youngest member of the Great Britain under-17 squad. In 2013, she switched to compete for Canada and last year won her first major senior medal with a bronze in the Pan-American championships. This proved the catalyst for her bid to reach Rio and her degree at St Mary’s University was put on hold to go full time training in Paris.

This season has seen a consistent improvement in world rankings, with the highlight being in Barcelona when she beat the world number one, Xu Anqi and the Budapest Grand Prix where she achieved her dream and qualified for Rio.

Mackinnon said: "I am not really targetting this Olympics, but after I did so well in the Pan American Championships. I decided to put my studies on hold and give it a really shot.

"So I am really delighted to have made it. I want to win an Olympic medal one day, but this time I am going to enjoy the experience and do the best I can."