West Midlands Lioness, 16, who lost leg to cancer competing to be first amputee Miss England

Annabel Kiki, of Cannock, is already considered the country's best female amputee football player after winning the Golden Boot for the Lionesses at the World Cup in November. 

The 16 year-old  is also bidding to become a Paralympic swimmer for the 2028 games in LA and has already built up a successful modelling career. 

Annabel caught the eye of pageant bosses at Fab UK magazine before being named a Miss England semi-finalist and the contest's first ever amputee competitor.

The inspirational teenager, who recently signed for Everton FC's men's amputee team, will now compete for the Miss England crown alongside her already remarkable sporting achievements. The semis are being held in Wolverhampton on October 3.

Annabel had her leg amputated aged just 13 after a sore knee she put down to an sporting injury or growing pains turned out to be a rare cancer.

Her mum Sally Remmer took her to hospital for an X-ray in February 2022 and tests revealed Annabel had osteosarcoma – a type of bone cancer.

A month later she began her first course of chemotherapy, which caused “horrific mouth sores”, hair loss, fatigue and sickness. 

Annabel was given the choice of having limb salvage surgery as part of her treatment which meant she may never be able to play sport again.

So she chose to amputate the leg to remove the tumour in May 2022, was back skiing weeks later and has never looked back since.

Brave Annabel declared: "I don't see myself as disabled, I see myself as enhanced. 

"I'm not the bad thing that happened to me, I'm what I choose to become."  

Annabel carried on playing football and was soon signed up as part of the England women's amputee national team. 

At the first ever Women's Amputee Football World Cup in Colombia in November, she was the top scorer and helped lead England to 5th place. 

Annabel has now been named the Fab UK Top Model and will compete in the Miss England semis in Wolverhampton on October 3.

Annabel said: "I've always enjoyed doing all the things people told me I would never be able to do again. 

"I've been modelling for about two years and I really enjoy that alongside my sport.

 "I was put forward for the Fab UK magazine top model by the editors there and from 156 models I was named the top one. 

"That has automatically won be a place in the Miss England semis. 

"The Miss England competition is all about beauty with a purpose. And I have a purpose. I'm still here.

"And if I can go on to be the first amputee Miss England too, well that would be some honour."

Annabel, who is also an avid skier, said she was determined to carry on her sporting lifestyle despite her hardship at such a young age.

She added: "I was aged 13 when I had what I thought was just a sore knee.

"I loved playing football, skiing and swimming back then too so I just thought I'd picked up an injury.

"Then one day at school it was more painful than before and my mum came to pick me up and we went for an x-ray.

"I could see from the nurses face it wasn't good news and I underwent tests and MRI scans, which confirmed an osteosarcoma - a rare type of bone cancer. 

"Its not down to lifestyle or genetic, it's just completely random and only 30 people a year get it. 

"I underwent weeks of chemotherapy and they offered me the choice of limb salvage - which would have meant I kept my leg but with metal prothesis. 

"But I was told there would be no way I would ever play football again so I dismissed that straight away and opted for the amputation. 

"As soon as my treatment was over, I was back skiing in Bulgaria within two weeks - I was not going to let this stop me. 

"I knew I was just going to have to learn how to do things differently. 

"I then went to an amputee football camp in Poland which is where I met other members of the England amputee women's football team. 

"I met the captain Shelbee Clarke and it all snowballed from there, we were determined to get a team together for the first world cup in Colombia. 

"That was an incredible experience, I won the Golden Boot scoring seven in six games. 

"We came fifth and considering we had only been playing together a short while, that was an incredible achievement.

"Now I'm determined to be the best women's amputee footballer there is and we're well equipped to win it in four years I firmly believe.

"After the tournament Everton got in touch and I made my debut playing alongside the men last weekend. 

"It was some experience, it is obviously faster and much more physical but I think it will make me a better player.

"As there's not enough one-legged women in the UK there's just not a women's league so a few England players play with the men. 

"I also love swimming and I'm training for the 2020 Paralympics in LA. Why not? 

"I want to achieve as much as I can."