Josiah Boreland predicted his future before he even stepped into the National Cycling Centre last weekend.
At the British International Open in Manchester, the Tsunami Taekwondo athlete had eyes only for the gold medal, and he reached that goal at the end of a year of hard work and relentless determination.
Twelve months earlier, he had stood on the podium with bronze. For many athletes, that would have been a breakthrough moment, but for Josiah, it wasn’t enough. It didn’t reflect what he believed he was capable of, nor the standards he was beginning to set for himself as he matured in the sport.
“So, he got his bronze last year. He wasn’t even happy with the bronze, actually,” explains his father and coach, Joshua Boreland.
“But then, obviously, getting the G1 gold this year, he was more determined, because before we entered the building, he did say: ‘I’m going to get gold.’ So, you know, what he said, he went and did.”
That self-belief on the mat is something that has been growing over time for Josiah, the teenager has consistently shown his ability by reaching the latter stages of competitions in the -78kg category, only to fall just short of victory.
Coming so close time and time again will have been a source of motivation and frustration for the Norbury native, but a breakthrough moment in Sheffield, winning gold at the 2025 National Kyorugi Championships proved to be the moment where it all started to click, and last weekend could prove to do the same on the international stage.
Josh explains: “I think when he won Nationals, that was when he got more of the ‘I can do this’ kind of energy. He started working harder from then.
“Josiah did only two G-1’s in 2025, but in his first International competition of 2026 year he came away with a silver medal, and that was just unlucky being so close to gold after three rounds. We’ve been doing a lot more internationals this year but after that silver, he kept on coming out in the quarter-finals at the G-1 competitions after.”
“So, I think that was just what was irritating him. But this time, he didn’t want to look at the draws. He didn’t want to see anything. He just said, ‘I’m just going to get in there and fight because I need to win.’ And this time around, it’s paid off.”
That shift in mindset became the turning point. Instead of overanalysing opponents or worrying about the path ahead, Josiah focused on what he could control: his performance, his intensity, and his belief in his own ability.
That was evident during Sunday’s action in Manchester, where Boreland comfortably overcame Denmark’s Karl-Emil Kirk Kristiansen 14-0 & 10-2 to reach the final, before going toe-to-toe with NTC’s Harry Callender, who has impressed on the international stage over the past 12 months.
Having been to the Cadets European Championships last year, Harry could prove to be a familiar foe for Boreland over the years to come if they are to stay in a similar weight category, but this time it was Josiah who emerged victorious after a hard-fought encounter at the National Cycling Centre.
Trailing 4-1 with 30 seconds left in the first fight, Josiah made his moves at the right time to turn the match around. A well-time attacked reduced the deficit to one with five seconds left on the clock, before he pounced once again to seal a 5-4 win in the final moments.
A more routine 5-2 success in the second fight sealed the deal for Josiah, leaving him with a G-1 gold medal round his neck for the first time, and a warm embrace with a very proud dad sat in his corner as the fight came to an end.
“It was a proud dad and coach moment. I even had to step outside after and just have a little breath of fresh air for myself. I’m so proud of him but I’m proud of the whole team” Josh recalls.
“Even to step up onto these stages is… it is a big level. So even just to make it into the room is a big deal, but to come away with a gold medal is absolutely excellent.
“We had support from other British teams that we know as well – Northern and Southern teams. So we had a good support network. We could feel the energy, because when I was coaching, I could hear a lot of people shouting, ‘Let’s go Josiah, come on.’ So it was a really good feeling.”
Behind that moment, though, is a story that extends far beyond one athlete. It is a story of a family-run club, of community, and of a club environment that has been built on years of shared commitment to the sport.
Having started up the club and joining British Taekwondo in 2021, Tsunami Taekwondo have blossomed over the past four and a half years as they continue to develop top Taekwondo talent, as well as developing confidence and self-discipline in their members on a day-to-day basis. For the Boreland family, Taekwondo isn’t just a hobby, it’s a way of life.
“All of my siblings did Taekwondo growing up. Different generations, different times, but all of my siblings are black belts and coaches, we are very much a taekwondo family” Josh explains, reflecting on the foundations of their journey.
“They coach with me at the club. So, when I’m away doing internationals, they’re teaching and coaching all other other students. We’re just trying to push the club, push the journey.
“We started competing in Kyorugi in the summer of 2022, and since then we’ve had multiple British national champions each year, including Josiah’s national gold from last year.
“We’ve won eight national championship golds and had plenty of silver & bronze national medalists since 2022. We’ve even won three team trophies at other competitions. Last year summer we won a first-placed team trophy at the same competition we debuted at four years ago.
“I’ve done Taekwondo most of my life and I always did say from when the club first started, Tsunami are going to make it to the top and get the job done. There’s still more work to do, but we are pushing on to make sure it continues to happen.”
For Josiah, the gold medal in Manchester is just the beginning. The breakthrough moment may have arrived, but the mindset that got him there hasn’t changed. There are still lessons to take forward and higher standards to reach.
The hunger that drove him through a few months of near-misses hasn’t disappeared with one result, if anything, it has grown stronger. With this being his final year as a junior, the aim is not just to build on this success, but to multiply it, to take the confidence gained from this performance and turn it into consistent results on the international stage.
“We’ve still got work to do, which we both know. Being dad and coach is a lot because sometimes it’s always Taekwondo with us. But we’ve got a few more internationals to be focusing on this year, and between Josiah and also Clara, another athlete of ours who’s been doing the internationals alongside Josiah, a big shout out to her, we’re hoping to double up, even triple up, on these G1 medals.
“We just want to carry on the rest of the year with that same Tsunami wave energy.”
Josiah’s performance at the British International Open epitomises the Tsunami Taekwondo spirit and dedication to our sport and Martial Art. One club, one family, one community, pulling together to succeed on the international stage.
That gold medal is the product of persistence, of learning from setbacks, and of believing in what is possible even at the toughest points, and it could be the start of something special.
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