Taekwondo helped nine-year-old Josh Davidson fall in love with sport and now the youngster will stand alongside Team GB’s finest as a Mini Mascot ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The Crosshouse Primary School pupil cannot wait to watch Britain’s best battle it out on the world stage across a range of sports, including track cycling.

Davidson is one of six children selected to be a Team GB Mini Mascot from across the nation, an extraordinary opportunity to be part of the action on Team GB’s journey to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

He said: “When I was young, I went to a club event and I was stuck to taekwondo. As I got older it got harder but it also got more fun and I still do it now.

“I entered to be a Mini Mascot because I wanted to see what it feels like to be a part of Team GB.

“At Paris 2024, I’m looking forward to watching the cycling in the velodrome. I love that all the bikes go really fast and at the end it’s really close between them.

“I want to either be a runner or compete in taekwondo at the Olympics because I have been doing that the longest and I just love to run.”

Davidson’s mother Angela reckons the opportunity is perfect for her son and the whole family are looking forward to embracing Josh’s journey to the French capital.

“Josh’s life revolves around sport, especially taekwondo,” the 39-year-old said. “He’s always jumping around.

“It’s going to be great for him experiencing other sports, travelling, meeting new people and an amazing thing to happen for his life.”

As part of the kitting-out day at the Olympic Park, mascots were given the surprise opportunity to meet canoe slalom world champion and Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Mallory Franklin.

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Franklin shared her experiences on the world stage to the budding young athletes and believes the Mini Mascot campaign can inspire a generation to get active.

“What I’ve learnt about myself and how much I’ve developed through being an athlete, I definitely want to give back and encourage kids to do that and support them on the journey if I can,” Franklin said.

“It’s amazing for them to be able to get an insight on what it is to be an Olympian and everything that goes with that.

“It’s a really exciting thing to be part of at their age as Team GB Mini Mascots.”

If you’d like to hear more about the Mini Mascots and follow their journey, head to https://www.teamgb.com/article/team-gb-announces-six-children-as-official-mini-mascots-for-paris-2024/68VUqFDbCdljGDTHcEuXpn