A KETTLEBELL lifting team has proved its strength and stamina with a successful national performance.

The team of eight competitors, based at TU NOVA Strength and Fitness, Albert Hill, Darlington, represented the town at the British Kettlebell Sport Championships in Harrogate.

Head coach Steven Gordon said: "This championships was a hugely successful one for the team as we walked away with 12 medals in total, ten golds and two silvers as well as three absolute champion trophies.

"The goal in these competitions is to lift two kettlebells above your head as many times as possible in ten minutes without rest.

"We have a team that has a mixture of experienced and novice lifters and a variety of ages with our youngest athlete being just 12-years-old and our oldest being 46.

"This is what makes the sport so great, that fact it is accessible to such a wide variety of people, means more people can lead fitter and more active lives through a sport and it's inclusive community.

"This was the biggest team we have had representing the town so far but with an ever growing team we expect this to be double next year."

The results of each of the lifters were:

Simon Trenholm, from Teesside, Gold in Biathlon and Silver in Longcycle Veterans Catergory, -78kg bodyweight, 24kg Kettlebell category

Joanne Tonkin, from Darlington, Gold in Biathlon and Gold in Longcycle in the females -58kg bodyweight, 16kg Kettlebell category

Charlotte Welton, from Darlington, Gold in Biathlon and Gold in Longcycle in the females -58kg bodyweight, 12kg Kettlebell Category

Paul Edwards, from Darlington, Gold in Biathlon and Gold in Longcycle in the males -85kg bodyweight, 16kg category

Daniel Edwards, aged 12, from Darlington, Gold in Biathlon and Gold in Longcycle in the juniors, 6kg Kettlebell category

Adam Tonkin, aged 14, from Darlington, Gold in Biathlon and Gold in Longcycle in the Juniors, 20kg Kettlebell Category

Head Coach, Steven Gordon, from Darlington, Gold in Longcycle, -78kg and 32kg Kettlebell Category.

Danielle Kilpatrick, from Darlington, competed in the team relay with the 12kg Kettlebell

Samuel Joblin, from Darlington, competed in the team relay with the 20kg Kettlebell category.