A seven-year-old student born without hands has won a US national handwriting contest.

 

Anaya Ellick from Chesapeake, Virginia, does not use prosthetics. To write, she stands to get the proper angle, holding a pencil between her arms.
Her principal, Tracy Cox from Greenbrier Christian Academy, describes her as an "inspiration".
"She does not let anything get in the way of doing what she has set out to do," says Ms Cox.
"She is a hard worker and has some of the best handwriting in her class."

The girl reportedly beat 50 other competitors to get the special-needs category prize at the National Handwriting Contest.
This category rewards students with an intellectual, physical, or developmental disability.
Competition director Kathleen Wright said that her "writing sample was comparable to someone who had hands".

Below is what her entry looks like.



Sponsors of the contest Zaner-Bloser said their plan is to award each student $1,000 (£690).
They shared a picture of the student on Twitter, happily holding her trophy.