Samworth Church Academy in Mansfield is celebrating a double sporting success.

Year 9 student Lewie Hynes has been chosen to represent England at the Unified International Taekwon-Do Federation (UITF) World Championships.

And his taekwondo teacher who trains with him at the academy has also been selected for the national team at the sameevent.

Simon Scales takes three after school taekwondo classes at the academy and said that he and Lewie were thrilled to get the news

“Both Lewie and I received the news directly from Master Gary Bradshaw in an Elite class session. I am nervous, which is only natural. As long as I give 100% all of the time I will have done myself proud regardless if I win any medals or not.”

Simon said that both he and Lewie were now training hard to keep up their fitness ahead of the competition.

“I am competing in both senior men’s team and veteran individual and team events. My diet is very strict, not only to support the training regime nutritionally, but to ensure I stay on my weighted division,” he said.

“The training regime is full on from daily running, strength, cardio to flexibility sessions. In addition to that I am training specifically with Taekwondo eight hours a week.”

Lewie will be competing in the individual and team events for junior boys (13yrs to 17yrs) and said: “I am not nervous and haven’t changed my training routine. I am working harder during my training though and I am proud to have been chosen.”

The competition will be held at the University of Hertfordshire Sports Village in Hatfield on 10th to 13th July and competitors will be split into age groups, then weighted divisions, to ensure a fair competition.

The events that Lewie and Simon will be competing in are sparring, patterns, specials (which involves jumping techniques hitting a raised target two metres plus in the air) and breaking boards using a variety of techniques.