TEENAGER Orla Spittle thought her dreams of swimming competitively were over when she was told she had a serious spinal condition.

But Orla, 14, managed to avoid life-changing, corrective surgery, thanks to alternative treatment.

Now she wants to raise awareness of the different treatments available.

Orla, of Wakefield Close, Colchester, was diagnosed with scoliosis, a severe curve to the spine, at 13.

Read the full story in today's Gazette.