Martial artist Carolyn Dean, pictured, who swapped her accountancy job to become a stunt girl, is hoping to qualify at one of the top action academies in the world.

Carolyn, who got her first taste of armed combat at The Royal Armories in Leeds, has been training at the Australian Stunt Academy.

The 25-year-old, from Thresh-field near Skipton, hopes one day to perform in a movie.

A former student at Skipton Girls High School, she trained in karate before she left for Australia.

She is now living in Surfers' Paradise on the Queensland coast and awaiting her stunt grade qualifications.

She has fallen off buildings, been set on fire, and learned to fight, abseil and fall from a speedboat.

And because of her driving prowess, especially performing 180 degree handbrake turns, she has been crowned the '180 Queen'.

"Commando roll-outs were also taught for military-type productions," said Carolyn.

"My least favourite water experience was being dragged behind the speedboat holding the end of a rope.

"Being small and lightweight, I found it very difficult to stop myself from bouncing in the backwash.

"And underwater fighting is a strange sensation as everything happens in slow motion.

"There are four types of fall - step-outs, headers, back falls and face-offs.

"I've performed step-outs from a height of 30 feet into an airbag, step-outs, headers and back falls from 22 feet and all four types from 12 feet."

Carolyn has also learned to scuba dive and to ride and fall off a horse.

She and a friend have already auditioned for a Japanese stunt show but were not selected.

While she was at the Royal Armouries, she was taught basic fencing and Kendo skills and she also learned to use a broadsword, rapier and dagger, and sword and buckler.