Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Anaya Ellick's mother Bianca says her daughter has "persevered"

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 told ABC News that her "writing sample was comparable to someone who had hands".

This is what her winning entry looked like:

Image copyright Greenbrier Christian Academy

Sponsors of the contest Zaner-Bloser said they planned to award each student $1,000 (£690).

They tweeted a picture of the student, happily holding her trophy.

Image copyright Twitter - ZanerBloser

Having no hands was also not an obstacle to 30-year-old pilot Jessica Cox.

In 2013, we reported on her inspirational example. Also born without hands, she has been able to drive a car, fly a plane and play piano - all with her feet.