A teen who was wheelchair-bound for over a year taught herself how to walk again – and is now preparing to walk the catwalk in a national modelling competition.

Holly Whaling, 16, was a keen gymnast and dancer before a severe joint condition left her wheelchair-bound for over a year – but she’s now back on her feet and preparing to walk the runway.

The teen, from Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire, suffered with a worsening joint condition from aged 12 – which resulted in her being confined to a wheelchair for a year.

Holly feared she’d never walk again after the condition worsened again following what appeared to be a successful first surgery in 2019 to correct the condition.

Despite the pressure, the teen said the opportunity to walk the runway motivated her to persevere with the slow and gruelling process of re-learning how to walk, and now she can hardly contain her excitement ahead of October’s grand final.

Holly said: “When my legs got really bad, I was gutted to give up gymnastics and dancing, but it was way too painful to continue.

“I always liked modelling so when I couldn’t do my other hobbies any more, it felt like a better option for me – but I was in total shock when I learned I had got through to the final.

“There were points where I never even thought I’d stand again, never mind walk on a catwalk – but it motivated me to keep practicing and improving my walking, no matter how painful and difficult it was.

“It was a long and slow process, and there were a lot of setbacks, but now I feel ready to give it my all on the catwalk."