First sporting success? Winning my first senior medal at my AST senior championships

Finest sporting moment? Winning the Tbilisi world cup in Georgia on the way to qualifying for the Bejing Olympics.

Your tip for the top: Be realistic and patient with your goals and train harder and smarter than everybody else.

First international / ‘big time’ call-up: Warsaw World Cup 2001.

How do you feel when you know you are representing your team / country? I feel very honoured as I have worked every hard to get where I am.

How and why did you get involved in your sport? My older brother had started judo a couple of months earlier and enjoyed it. I had been bullied at school and my Mum thought it would be a good confidence-builder for me.

What is your favourite moment in the history of sport?  Goran Ivanisovic winning Wimbledon. He’d had poor form for 2 years and had dropped out of the top 100 in the rankings. He only gotin through a wildcard entry due to his past achievenemts but he went on to take the title.

Who has been the biggest influence on your sporting career? My coaches.

Any family connections to sport? My brother does judo with me – that’s about it.

Who has been your toughest opponent and why? Ludwig Daischer (Austria) – Olympic Silver Medallist. I have fought him 6 times and have not beaten his yet.

Three words that describe you: Quiet, hard-working and reliable.

Who would you most like to meet? Sir Alex Ferguson.

What is your most prized possession? Winner’s trophy for the Tblisi World Cup.

What is your biggest passion away from sport? Family and friends.

Favourite sport(s) other than your own? Table tennis and normal tennis.

Top tips to relax? Make sure everything is taken care of /finished, whether it be homework, chores or training. It’s easier to switch off if you know you have nothing left to worry about.

What is your ultimate ambition? To win an Olympic medal and the Commonwealth Games.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time? Definitely coaching within Judo, either my own business or for the Federation.