Sixteen-year-old Lauren Dunsmore from Abronhill, Cumbernauld is delighted to have been selected to Represent Team GB at the Taekwondo Junior World Championships in Korea this October. Lauren will be fighting in the -44kg female division as part of a team of 13 young athletes from across the UK. Lauren is one of only three other Scottish athletes selected to take part.

Lauren made the move from ITF style Taekwondo when she was eight years old to broaden her Taekwondo horizons. Lauren was always keen to compete and never shied away from taking part. She took on every opportunity including development competitions to help her develop confidence and grow as a competitor. Over the years Lauren has also taken part in seminars with Grand Master Shin, Kukkiwon Dispatch instructor, Steven Jennings, GB High performance coach and GB athletes and Olympians Rebecca McGowan (Paris 2024) and Bradly Sinden (Tokyo 2020, Paris 2024).

Lauren has been invited down to GB’s state of the art training centre in Manchester to train with the team and coaches, which has given her extra motivation to reach her goal of becoming a part of the team. These sessions have allowed her to train with GB coaches, mix with the team and gain valuable insight and experience into how elite athletes train.

From the age of thirteen as a Cadet she began taking part in G1/2 ranked competitions, these allow athletes to gain points and allows them to improve upon their world rankings within the sport. Her first experience of high-level competition in Sweden in 2020 ignited her desire to become a GB athlete. Since then, she has travelled to Spain, Belgium, Luxemburg, Copenhagen, Ireland and the Netherlands. Most Notably, she earned a silver medal at this year’s G1 Spanish Open in La Nucia.

Raw Taekwondo are very proud of Lauren and this milestone achievement. She has been working hard and has been committed since she decided to follow her ambitions in 2019.

Coach Master Robertson had this to say “This is an incredible achievement and massive opportunity that I am sure one that Lauren will take with both hands. This is a hard earned but well-earned selection for Lauren. I have worked with Lauren over a long period and recognise her talent combined with her relentless work ethic and look forward to what the future holds”.

When asked how she found out the good news, Mum Michelle said. “I found out at work and let out a scream I was so excited.”

Dad Alan said he found out whilst at home when he received a text from Wife Michelle. “It was an emotional moment of pride and joy for her. She has worked so hard and made a lot of sacrifices along the way.”

When asked what they hoped Lauren would gain form the experience, dad Alan said “There is no pressure from us. I just hope she enjoys it. It is one step closer to her Olympic dream.”

Mum Michelle said “She has been preparing well for this with one-to-one sessions with her coach Master Robertson, all the competitions and learning from those experiences.

Lauren will be starting her training schedule very soon which includes 5 intensive residential training camps with international teams at the GB academy in Manchester. She will Leave her family home mid-September for a training camp in Manchester for 5 days then will embark on a 15-hour flight to Korea with her team and support staff for two weeks training and acclimatisation in period before the competition 1-6 October.

When asked what she is looking forward to Lauren said, “I feel excited and I am looking forward to all the training preparation, meeting new people and having new experiences.”

If you would like to help support Lauren with her training and travel commitments, please donate to her GoFundMe page via this link: https://gofund.me/5786b98d