Teenage taekwondo talent Jake Pachansky is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Olympic champion Jade Jones after kicking up a fuss on the international stage.

The 14-year-old from Bromley may be one of the youngest sporting talents on the British taekwondo scene, but he is alive and kicking after securing his place on the GB Taekwondo Development Squad last year. 

Competing for Aquila Taekwondo Club, based in South East London, Pachansky has already claimed international titles including the 2021 French Open and the Cadets -49kg British title - that saw him remain unbeaten all season. 

Pachansky was able to keep up his sporting prowess during the lockdowns by kicking in his garden shed, which had been turned into a training space for him and his taekwondo-mad family.

Pachansky, one of over 50 of the most talented young British athletes supported by a partnership between the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) and SportsAid, said: “My sporting hero is Jade Jones, she really inspires me. 

“My goal for this year is mainly to get chosen for the Junior World Championships this summer, but my ultimate goal is to compete at the Olympic Games at the pinnacle of taekwondo.” 

RBC, one of the largest banks in the world and a partner of SportsAid since 2014, provides the next generation of sports stars with financial assistance, recognition and personal development opportunities to help them fulfil their potential. 

And since the partnership began, RBC has distributed more than 420 athlete awards with SportsAid. 

Taekwondo runs in Pachansky’s blood as his older sister Mia is part of GB Taekwondo's full-time World Class Performance Programme, and has also been supported by SportsAid and RBC, while his brother Oliver and parents also compete and train in the sport. 

Pachansky, whose sport represents one of 30 sporting disciplines covered by the RBC and SportsAid’s partnership and who was nominated to SportsAid by his sport’s national governing body, added: “It means a lot to me to be included in SportsAid’s program because this is everything that I have been working for since I started taekwondo when I was seven. This opportunity is really great for me.

“It’s so exciting to be part of this RBC SportsAid group as my sister has previously done it and I have looked up to it. I have been really excited to do this for myself. 

“I plan to use the financial support of SportsAid mostly on competition and travel as it’s very expensive but as well as that buying new training gear so I can train well and also for food as well. 

“It’s very exciting to be with very similar athletes on SportsAid because we all have the same goals and it would be a great opportunity to learn from others and take on a lot of knowledge to excel me as an athlete. 

“It’s so great to be recognised as a talented athlete – I’ve been working on this for years. This is part of the process and it’s good to be at this level.”

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