A Suffolk sportswoman has been called up to represent her country at the upcoming Commonwealth Games.

Hetty Bartlett, who lives in Grundisburgh, will represent Team England for the first time at the Games this summer in Birmingham.

The 31-year-old represented Team GB at the Tokyo Paralympics last year, competing in the long jump and came sixth.

Ipswich Star: Paralympian Hetty Bartlett has been called up for team England at the Commonwealth Games in the summer.Paralympian Hetty Bartlett has been called up for team England at the Commonwealth Games in the summer. (Image: Archant)

At the weekend she represented Great Britain at the Diamond League Grand Prix in Birmingham, in the same venue where she will be competing in August against the best in the world.

The athlete, who has cerebral palsy, said: "It feels amazing, I had absolutely no idea I was expected to go and represent the country.

"I had no idea I was going to the Paralympics last year either, I was told at a meeting that I wasn't going, so my coach said let's train for the upcoming years, and then two weeks later, I was told I was going."

Hetty, who trains in Norwich, will switch sports for the Commonwealth Games, competing in the 100m Sprint, due to the long jump being taken out to accommodate more wheelchair sports.

Ipswich Star: Paralympian Hetty Bartlett has been called up for team England at the Commonwealth Games in the summer.Paralympian Hetty Bartlett has been called up for team England at the Commonwealth Games in the summer. (Image: Archant)

She said: "As my main event is long jump, I didn't think to go for the sprints so to be told you are going for the 100m is just amazing.

"I still have to pinch myself to see if I am dreaming or not."

Hetty achieved a personal best at the weekend, finishing with a time of 13.51, but she is sure she can do better at the games.

"My foot slipped in the blocks which was really annoying, it was amazing to get my PB though.

"I am hoping to medal at the games. To do that though I would have to do quite a big PB, but it is what I am aiming for."

Hetty has been a professional athlete since 2018, and originally got into athletics after watching the 2012 London Paralympics.

"I turned to my dad and said, that is what I want to do."

Ipswich Star: Paralympian Hetty Bartlett has been called up for team England at the Commonwealth Games in the summer.Paralympian Hetty Bartlett has been called up for team England at the Commonwealth Games in the summer. (Image: Archant)

She will be competing in the Women's T37/38 100m final, which is an event for people with neurological complications such as MS or, in Hetty's case, cerebral palsy.

She will be competing on August 2 in the Alexandra Stadium between 6:30pm-10:00pm.

Hetty is not the only Ipswich athlete taking part in the games, with squash player Lucy Turmel also representing Team England during the competition.