A young woman is set to storm Rio with the backing of family and friends in Dartford.

Abbie Hunnisett will be competing at the Paralympic athletics in club throwing, and Cllr Derek Hunnisett (Con), who represents Wilmington on Dartford council, is keen for people to get behind his granddaughter.

The 20-year-old has cerebral palsy and after being starved of oxygen at birth was left with some brain damage. She was christened in St Michael and All Angels Church in the village, where her father, Mark, was married.

Cllr Hunnisett, on behalf of himself and wife Linda, said: “Abbie is a role model – what she’s achieved is remarkable.

“She is one of the most heavily disabled people competing and as grandparents we are immensely proud of how far she has come and her sheer determination.

“She is the legacy of London 2012 – when she saw people competing then she decided that’s what she wanted to do.”

As a child Abbie began getting active with horse riding, which helped her core strength.

In 2010 Abbie won the Going For Gold category at the KM Group-supported Ward and Partners Annual Children’s Awards, where she was recognised as part of the Arrow Riding for the Disabled Centre in Dartford.

But is was club throwing that she decided to focus on after 2012.

Dad Mark said: “She was a slight little thing but after that she was down the gym, and training four or five times a week. She is now an elite athlete.”

While she still struggles with day-to-day activities, is unable to walk far and has little control over her hands, her general physical and mental health is much improved.

Her immune system has been bolstered and her epilepsy has vanished.

Her specialist wheelchair has been designed by Dartford firm Revamp, and she flies out to Rio on Sunday before her competition on September 9.

In four years she has gone from nowhere to being ranked fourth in the world, but she is still very young to be a thrower.

Most of the top athletes are in their late 20s or early 30s, and she initially had her sights set on Tokyo but is keen to make an impact in Rio.

Additional reporting by Charlotte Raymond