Brighouse’s rising taekwondo star Sam Heppenstall-Batty has Olympics in his sights

Sparring with your role models in taekwondo is, perhaps, a unique experience.

19-year-old Sam Heppenstall-Batty, from Brighouse, who has been part of the Warrior Factory club since the age of 10, has seen his taekwondo career take off since successfully trialling for the Great Britain Fighting Chance squad in 2018.

It was a turning point for Heppenstall-Batty, who has gone from strength to strength and is now among the latest recipients of funding from a three-year partnership between GVC and SportsAid which helps young athletes achieve their potential.

The initiative is part of GVC’s multi-million-pound grassroots sport investment programme, Pitching In, and will assist the taekwondo prospect as he looks to fulfil his Team GB dream.

“I take it step by step – I’d like to do some more international competitions and hopefully get some podium places and wins,” said the former Brighouse High School pupil, who took part in the Dutch Open a matter of weeks before lockdown hit.

“I’d like to try and qualify for the Olympics, then be chosen. Up to four people qualify but only one can compete per country. To qualify is one thing but to be chosen is another, so that would be brilliant.”

Such ambitions felt a long way off during Heppenstall-Batty’s early teenage years.

“There was a competition when I was about 12 where I got beaten really badly, which really knocked my confidence,” he said.

“I had a few years of not doing the competitive side but I got back into it and I’ve loved it ever since.

“I’ve been doing international competitions and training with world champions in the past couple of years – four years ago I didn’t even want to do it. It has been crazy.”

SportsAid programmes have helped support a wide variety of Team GB stars over the years – including a taekwondo champion who has provided recent inspiration.

“Bradly Sinden winning the World Championships in 2019 was a real standout moment,” Heppenstall-Batty said.

“Not many people expected him to win that, so it was great.

“I also went to watch the 2018 Grand Prix in Manchester and the atmosphere was brilliant. I loved seeing how much of an impact the crowd had on the Great Britain squad.

“It made me even keener to reach that level.”

GVC is proud to be championing the next generation of British sporting heroes by providing talented young athletes with financial support and personal development opportunities in partnership with SportsAid. As part of this three-year partnership, GVC are supporting a diverse group 50 of UK athletes per year from a variety of spots and para-sports. Visit gvc-plc.com to find out more.