A young karate star has defied all the odds to win martial arts honours after fending off a life-threatening medical condition.

Natalie Headland, 13, almost died after suffering a ruptured liver in May.

Now the Angmering Sports College pupil has bounced back against all the odds and underlined her recovery by beating one of the world's top karate fighters for her age group.

She competed in the under-16s fighting event at the Slovenian Tenth Anniversary of Independence Championships, beating the host country's competitor Tamara Kronja, who is also European champion.

Experts are still not sure what caused Natalie's liver to rupture but think it may have been a combination of a fall from her bike and a hard knock during karate training.

Natalie, of Rife Way, Ferring, near Worthing, was so sick she cannot remember much about what happened.

But her mother, Penny, was distraught when she realised how ill her daughter was.

She said: "Natalie had an accident on her bike and was then winded in training.

"She went to bed as normal, feeling a little sore but the next morning she woke up being sick.

"We went to our GP and then to Worthing Hospital. A surgeon came and diagnosed the problem. She'd been bleeding internally and if that had carried on she would have died.

"They didn't have a paediatric intensive care unit at Worthing and were taking instructions from one in Basingstoke over the phone."

By the time Natalie was airlifted to hospital in Southampton and booked in for an operation, she had been bleeding for more than 19 hours.

After two operations she started to convalesce, amazing her doctors with the speed of her recovery.

Natalie, who trains at Tarring Karate Club and is a second dan black belt, said: "The medical people said the fact I was so fit because of my karate was a big help. It has given me a lot of confidence as well.

"I feel all right about how I have come back and now I want to be a world champion one day. Hopefully what I have gone through can be an inspiration."

Her mother added: "We're so grateful she is still alive. I'm amazed by her. She's a pocket dynamo with so much energy."