YOUNG gymnast Victoria Loftus has won a gold medal at the Special Olympics in China.

Victoria, 15, has been competing in the games in Shanghai for the past two weeks and has also scooped three bronze medals.

The hard-working gymnast, who lives in Rainham, won gold on the vault, bronze on the beams and uneven bars as well as an all-round bronze for her level one floor work.

Proud mum Sue Mackey said: “On the vault she scored a fantastic 9.7 out of a possible mark of 10 and the whole stadium erupted into cheers when her score was flashed up on the board.

“Her bars, beam and vault was the best I’ve ever seen them, but the Russian and Chinese gymnasts also performed almost faultlessly.”

Sue added: “I’ve always been extremely proud of Victoria but words cannot express what a joy it is to be able to say she is now a world champion gymnast.”

Cllr Les Wicks, portfolio holder for children’s services, said: “I am sure I speak on behalf of everyone in Medway when I say how proud I am of this young lady’s success. “Winning a gold medal and three bronze medals is no mean feat.”

Victoria’s inspiring story has captured the hearts of the people of Medway since she was born three months prematurely, weighing just 1lb 4oz.

She has grown into a bubbly teenager with a talent for gymnastics which has seen her named as one of Medway’s elite sporting stars for 2012.

Last year, the Medway Messenger ran the Make My Dream Come True campaign to raise money to help send Victoria to China, which reached its target in record time.