SABRINA FORTUNE is gunning for Paralympics gold after picking up silver in past weeks.

A Communications student at Coleg Cambria, Sabrina was awarded an MBE in the King’s New Year’s Honours list and received the “prestigious honour” at Windsor Castle from HRH The Prince of Wales.

Having achieved a gold medal at last year’s Paris Games – where she also broke the shot put world record – the 27 year-old, from Mold, has her sights set on the 2028 Games, to be held in Los Angeles.

Selected for an MBE for her services to athletics, she said: “I’m extremely proud to be awarded an MBE but was also very surprised as I never thought that I would get one in my lifetime.

“Not all athletes have this opportunity, so I am really honoured, it’s an incredible award.”

Sabrina, who has since broken her own world record with a throw of 15.51m at the British Indoor Championships, added: “My next priority in my career is to get to the LA Paralympics and defend my title.

“There are also the World Championships later this year in India, so it’s going to be a busy time, but I am excited and training hard into the summer.”

Sabrina joined Coleg Cambria as a Catering and Hospitality learner before moving on to the Skills for Adults programme to sharpen her Maths and English.

She achieved those qualifications before studying Digital Skills and now the ESW L2 Communications course, which she is due to complete in the coming months.

Lecturer Catherine Abnett is “immensely proud” of her achievements, and said: “Sabrina is amazing, despite competing and training all over the world she always completes her classwork, which shows how driven and focused she is.

“I have been her tutor for three years and some of my colleagues in our team have also had the pleasure of teaching her on other courses; we are all immensely proud of her achievements both in and out of college.”

She added: “Considering Sabrina is a record-breaking Paralympic gold medallist she is very modest and down to earth.

“Her peers enjoy asking her questions about her training camps and sporting experiences, and I think the day she waited until the end of the lesson to casually pull out her gold medal from her bag will be a day we will all remember!

“Sabrina puts 100% into everything she does and despite any challenges she faces, she makes it look effortless. She has a great outlook on life, and it is wonderful to see her receiving the recognition she so well deserves for her outstanding sporting achievements.”