BOLTON Special Constable Karen Scholes is preparing to go into battle in front of an audience of millions.

The 23-year-old is one of only 32 out of a 20,000 hopeful applicants to be chosen to be a contestant on the popular television show, Gladiators.

Karen, from Astley Bridge, underwent a rigorous physical test comprising chin ups, running on a treadmill and climbing a 30ft rope.

In addition, she had to show her fighting spirit by facing up to another female competitor armed with the familiar giant 'cotton bud' shaped stick.

Karen explained: "That was to see if I was aggressive enough. If I was really prepared to go for it."

The tests took place in Sheffield, and so excited her pregnant sister who accompanied her, that she threatened to go into early labour. Karen, who has been a Special Constable for more than three years, based at Astley Bridge, sailed through the physical demand. She said: "I suppose being fit comes in handy for being a Special. It is something I really enjoy doing. It is interesting and gives me an insight into the work the police have to do."

In addition Karen teaches trampolining for about five hours a week, and is the only woman driver at Hampsons Bakery.

Of her Gladiators audition, she said: "It was all very strict. You had to run 800 metres on a treadmill in two-and-a-half minutes, have a minute's rest then do chin ups. There was a man with a stopwatch and you were left hanging from the bar having to do a chin up every seven seconds or so on demand. I had to do five of those.

"Then I had to go across a horizontal ladder and up a 30ft rope within a minute."

She then faced up to her fellow competitor, but after that came the really hard task - having to face the camera for 20 minutes.

She said: "They wanted to see if I was camera shy." Several weeks later Karen was invited down to London as one of only 100 to undergo a final interview. From that number half were women, and out of that total Karen was eventually one of 16 females chosen for the programme.

She is now due to compete in the programme in the first week of August.

Karen said: "I am really excited and am determined to give it my best shot.

"I do a lot of keep fit normally - running and circuit training, as well as the trampolining - but will now have to start working really hard, concentrating on specific things.

"It will be a great challenge for me. I have watched the programme on television in the past thinking 'I could do that'. Now I have the chance."

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