A LYDNEY teenager is heading for the national powerlifting championships, just months after taking up the sport.

Jake Turley, who is 15-years-old, completed three successful lifts which included a 50kg bench press, a 117.5kg squat and a 150kg deadlift at the south west championships in Cheltenham.

He was thrilled to discover that he had exceeded the qualifying limit for the nationals by 27.5 points.

The youth nationals take place at Moulton College in Northampton in August.

Jake, who is a year 10 student at The Dean Academy and competes in the 120kg class, took up the sport last summer and trains regularly at the Fortitude Gym in Lydney where he was encouraged by his coach to enter the competition.

Jake said: “I was really nervous to start with but after I had completed my first lift the nerves went and I started to enjoy the experience. I can’t wait for the next stage of the competition.”