Former gymnast Alison Carroll named new 'Lara Croft'

By Hector Cortez Aug 12, 2008, 21:17 GMT

Eidos today revealed that former gymnastic representative for Great Britain, Alison Carroll is now the new Lara Croft.

Eidos today revealed that former gymnastic representative for Great Britain, Alison Carroll is now the new Lara Croft.

Unlike her predecessors Alison does not come from a modelling background, but with 12 years' experience as a professional display gymnast. Alison is an elite gymnast who has flown the flag for Great Britain. She has performed across the UK and overseas as part of a team of twenty athletes, wowing Prince Charles when she appeared at a special event at Westminster Abbey. She is also a dedicated coach of younger gymnasts, and recently choreographed the routine for the junior team that won the British National Championships.

Alison will be lining up a host of international modelling assignments, starring in TV commercials, appearing on chat shows and is set to travel the globe over the coming months.

Alison Carroll says; “This is a fantastic opportunity and I am really looking forward to embracing Lara’s world” said Alison Carroll “I still can’t believe they chose me to take on the role of Lara – and I can’t wait to get stuck in. This is my dream job – I have always wanted to be an action hero and hope to be able to use my gymnastic ability to perform all of Lara’s stunts. It is slightly daunting but I am really excited at the same time.”

Alison follows in the footsteps of previous Lara Croft stars, Karima Adebibe, Lucy Clarkson, Rhona Mitra, Nell McAndrew, Lara Weller and Angelina Jolie in the Tomb Raider movies.

Fans eager to play a new game in the series will be glad to know that Tomb Raider: Underworld marks the first game in the series that is designed specifically for next generation consoles. Lara Croft uncovers proof of the existence of the mythical hammer of the Norse God Thor, a weapon rumored to have the power to smash mountains into valleys and destroy the Gods themselves.

Setting an epic journey around the globe in motion, Lara visits the ruins of ancient civilizations, collecting clues that lead her to a forgotten power that could lay waste to civilization.