TYRESE Carl is hoping his medal-laden year can be the prelude to Olympic stardom after taking gold at the Commonwealth Taekwondo Championships.

The 13-year-old, a student at Lockyer’s Middle School in Corfe Mullen, was selected to represent England at the Meadowbank Stadium in Scotland last month on the back of his gold medal in the Cadet -57 category of the British National Championships in September.

Tyrese, from Creekmoor, Poole, trains with Wessex Taekwondo Association coach John Harrison at his school and Rossmore Leisure Centre and represents the club in national and regional competitions.

And with the opportunity to continue on the international stage at junior level next year, these are exciting times for Dorset’s rising martial arts star.

Tracey Burgum, Tyrese’s mother, told the Daily Echo: “Eventually, he wants to represent Team GB.

“It is a long way off but he can chase that dream by representing his country as a junior while staying with Wessex Taekwondo.

“Tyrese is very happy with his club and that helps him to train hard to fulfil his dream.

“He puts in many hours every week and sticks to a healthy diet to be able to compete at this level.

“He has also been fully supported by his school which makes it possible to travel to the competitions.

“Next year, he will begin to travel abroad to compete, hopefully, for a medal in Europe. 

"He is hoping to fight abroad with his own club and get recognised that way. He is winning medals and doing everything he can to get noticed.

“He took his first steps by winning the British Championships and the future is starting to open up for him.

“It is a very tough regime with school work and travelling to competitions but he absolutely loves it.

“There is a long way to go but, the more he trains, the better he gets and, hopefully, the sky is the limit. We are so incredibly proud of his achievements.”