A TREGARON teenager is poised to represent Wales at next month’s tug-of-war world championships in Sweden – just three months after taking up the sport.

Stung by a jibe from her younger sister, Gwawr Edwards joined Llanwenog tug-of-war team in May and last week was a member of the Wales Under-19s’ 520kg pulling squad who beat England and Northern Ireland to be crowned 520kg UK and Ireland junior champions.

Now Gwawr, 18, is preparing to travel to Malmö to represent Wales in the Outdoor Tug of War World Championships on 7 September – provided she can get a passport in time.

“It’s really amazing, a once in a lifetime chance,” she reflected.

“To be asked to pull in the UK championships was amazing, but to be asked to go to the world championships is something else!”

She revealed how her involvement began following a challenge from her younger sister.

“Cara came home from tug-of-war training at the YFC and told me I’d never be able to do it,” Gwawr told the Cambrian News. “I turned up for training the very next night!

“I can’t say I immediately liked the sport – I thought it was quite stupid, to be honest.

“But when I did the training I could see the amount of work that went in. It was really, really hard."

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