James Sotheran (14), a pupil at Queen Elizabeth High School, is targeting a place at next year’s Junior Taekwon-Do World Championships in Dublin and European Championships in Bulgaria following an appearance at the recent Hungary World Cup.
James took up the sport eight years ago and has impressed ever since, becoming the youngest owner of a black belt within the Taekwon-Do Association of England (TAE) at the age of 12.
The sport has seen him travel across the UK and Ireland, but the highlight was representing England in Budapest in the prestigious world cup.
While eliminated from the first rounds in both the sparring and patterns competitions, the experience of going up against competitors who went on to win gold was a great buzz to the teenager.
James said: “I was selected in the TAE squad and I trained with them, and I’ve competed in Scotland, Ireland, Coventry and Stratford-upon-Avon, as well as locally.
“But to be asked to go over to Hungary among some top class competitors was a great experience. It was my first international championships, and I’d love to compete internationally again in the future and take it as far as I can.”
James, a member of Newcastle’s Jon Churchward Schools of Taekwon-Do, is progressing well in his goal for more of the same.
Having trained with the England national squad, he passed the first stage of trials and is through to the final stage, to be held in February.
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