ALEXANDRA POWELL secured gold at the 2017 School Games held at Loughborough University.
The Malvern Fencing Club member represented England at the annual competition in the junior age group.
The 17-year-old fought her way through the poules in the first round before moving into the direct elimination stage.
Prior to reaching the final, the Solihull Sixth Form student came up against a pair of Northern Irish fencers and a Welsh challenger before meeting England team-mate Laura Sheffield in the final.
Sheffield, who has already scooped a bronze medal at the European Under 17 Championships this season, is considered to be one of the top fencers in Europe – making Powell’s final appearance an even greater challenge.
Despite this, the teenager controlled the fight from beginning to end – winning 15-10 to land the gold medal.
She followed her individual performance up with gold in the England Epee mixed team competition and was asked by the England Team Manager to collect the overall trophy on behalf of her country.
Alexandra said: “It was great to be part of such a prestigious tournament and I’m really pleased with how it went.
“I had some difficult fights, but I’m pleased with my performance and happy to have been part of the Epee team that won gold too.
“I hope I can build on this at the upcoming World Cup.”
Her gold medal performance came about nine years after Powell first started fencing.
The borough sportswoman has represented England at Under-15 and Under-17 level and fences for clubs including Kenilworth Sword, Malvern Hills, and Birmingham Fencing.
And her gold medal came as a timely boost to her confidence with the Junior World Cup around the corner in Laupheim, Germany.
Despite only being 17, Powell will feature as part of Team GBs Under 20s team while juggling her tough training schedule with her studies.
With an eye already on a career in the sport, Powell plans to take a gap year to concentrate on her fencing after the completion of her studies.