Jiu-jitsu ace Tommy Turner was victorious at the European Jiu-jitsu Championships

The 15-year-old from Black Bull Lane, in Fulwood, won the IBJJF European ultra heavyweight Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Championship held in Paris, France.

To earn his win, he beat off fierce competition from Canada, Brazil and America.

His victory follows the success he achieved last year when he won the European Elite BJJ heavyweight championship which was hosted in Wolverhampton, England.

Whilst Turner is fully committed to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu – training at least nine hours a week – he struggled to achieve success in his younger years because of his height, size and weight.

He is a sizeable 6ft 5in height and weighs 95kg.

So for several years he had to fight older boys who weighed the same as him but who were physically more developed.

His father John Turner said: “The early years were frustrating and we attended numerous competitions and rarely came home with gold medals.

“But since lockdown, Tommy has grown exponentially in height, strength and skill.

“Jiu-Jitsu is an amazing all round sport for mental agility, mental health, strength, fitness and stamina.

“Despite being 15 he has been training in the adult classes for four years and last year, as a yellow belt, he won an adult interclub blue belt championship set up by Roger Gracie Academy in Preston.

Since Christmas, Turner, who attends Our Lady's Catholic High School in Fulwood, has reduced his training whilst he focuses on his GCSEs this June.

His father added: “Tommy loves BJJ so much and appreciates the help and support he gets from his coaches.

“He is keen to give back to the sport, so he started coaching the children's BJJ class each Wednesday. He had done this for approximately three years.”