Training is going well and I am building towards Paris in December, it is decided I will only fight -55Kg Juniors in Paris and keep my focus on the Junior division as the weight difference is going to be too big a gap. After Paris I will be moving up to -59Kg at juniors and means that I will also be doing -58Kg at seniors.

I am now settling into the Academy life and enjoying the life style of a full time athlete. It is fantastic to be working with some of the best taekwondo players in the World on a daily basis and the support staffs ensures that I am progressing and keeping to my targets.

Next week I am going to London to watch the ‘London Prepares’ Invitational Taekwondo even. It should be a fantastic event with a number of major world stars appearing. Unfortunately the event is not open to the public and only for four of the Olympic weight categories Male -68kg and -80Kg and female -46Kg and +67Kg, shame as I would have loved to have fought at -58Kg.

I have still attended a couple of competitions in the UK including the Scorpion Future Championships and the British Master Championships, it is strange to attend the events and not compete but it does allow me to keep in touch with all of my friends in Taekwondo.

Of late I have fought a number of test matches behind closed doors and fought a number of world class competitors and returned a number of victories at senior level. These test matches are really tough hard fights and great for feedback and measuring my progress.

Next year I have a busy year starting with high altitude training in Mexico in January and February. From Mexico I will be flying to Sweden to compete in the Trelleborg Open looking to gain more qualifications points towards the Junior World Championships . After Trelleborg it will be a busy period with competitions in Germany and Holland (March and April) again seeking qualification to represent Great Britain at the Junior World’s and the Senior Europeans. Then hopefully it will be Egypt in May to represent Great Britain at the Junior World’s.

After the Junior World’s it will be the Senior European Championships. I am working towards selection for the Senior European Championships which will be held in Manchester in April and this will set up an incredible start to the year for me.

The Olympic Games are in many peoples thoughts as the British players seek to secure the places for London 2012. Great Britain has four places, two male and two female. The male categories are -68Kg and -80Kg and the female are -57Kg and -67Kg. whilst the British have secured four berths as host nation the other countries are in competition to qualify places. The Britsh athletes will be named in June when the other governing bodies name their athletes.

The World, Oceania and the PAN AM qualifiers have been held with the Asian, African and European qualification events to be held. With many of the major Taekwondo nations already ready qualified including the American Stephen Lopez qualiftying for his fourth Olympics games and aiming to win his third Olympics.

So 2012 is a massive year for Taekwondo and also for me, with major tournaments and championships for Great Britain to deliver in and the top World and European events to be held on home soil adding to the excitement. Not forgetting that the University World Games are to be held in Korea in 2012, this is going to be an amazing year for Taekwondo and I am doing my up-most to be part of it.