A high-kicking nurse from Penistone awarded her third Dan black belt has also been chosen as an Olympic Games volunteer.

Karen Moody, 41, of Springfield Grove, works as an intensive care sister at Barnsley Hospital.

In stark contrast to her job, the qualified taekwondo instructor has proved her skills by kicking, punching and smashing her way to success to become a third Dan black belt.

It's not gone unnoticed as Karen has now been picked as a 'games maker' volunteer at the London Olympics.

"It's an honour really," she said. "The Olympic Games will probably never be here again in my lifetime.

"I will be working behind the scenes and making sure athletes have everything they need, and my shift is actually when the medals ceremonies are."

She took up the martial art as a teenager and was a successful competitor before her career and young family took over.

She started training again with her children when they were old enough, and son Daniel, 11, has gone on to achieve a second Dan black belt himself.

Her black belt exam consisted of patterns, which is combinations of blocks, punches, kicks and strikes, followed by Olympic sport sparring and self-defence tests. The last part of the test was all about power, and Karen had to break boards with her kicks.

When she isn't busy saving lives at the hospital, Karen teaches taekwondo classes at Penistone Grammar school's sports centre on Monday evenings.

She works with chief instructor Mike McKenzie who said Karen is 'an excellent role model and a great instructor'.