Seeing your son’s name in the local paper never gets old. But this week it hit differently. The Oxford Mail ran a follow up piece on Jakob, and reading it back felt like watching the whole journey flash before my eyes.

Reporter Matt Drake, who first covered Jakob back in March before Brazil, picked up the story again to confirm what we still can barely believe ourselves. Jakob is a World Champion.

The article covers the essentials. Gold in Individual Kata. Gold in Team Kumite. Both at the 7th JKS International Cup in Vitória, Brazil. All achieved at just 13 years old. His first ever World Championships.

It also touches on the road that got him there. Training at JKS Abingdon. A silver at the JKS European Cup in Denmark. A bronze at the British Karate Federation International Open. His place on the JKS England national squad. Step by step, competition by competition, building something real.

The Parts That Rarely Make Headlines

What meant the most to us, reading it back, was seeing the early mornings and long drives get a mention too. Those parts of the journey rarely make headlines, but they are the real story behind any medal.

The dark winter mornings driving to training. The tired legs after sessions. The nerves before stepping onto the mat. The quiet pride watching him walk out representing England. None of that makes for a simple headline, but it is everything.

We are grateful to Matt and the Oxford Mail for giving Jakob’s win the coverage it deserves. It means a lot to a normal family from Abingdon just trying to give their son every opportunity.

Thank You to Those Who Believe

The article also gave us a chance to thank Motion Mender, Pink Coco London and PartMax publicly for their continued support. These sponsors believe in what Jakob is building, and we never take that for granted.

None of this happens without people backing a young athlete they have never met, simply because they believe in the journey. That kind of support changes everything.

You can read the full piece on the Oxford Mail website. And as always, there is more on Jakob’s journey right here on JDB Sports.

If you want to be part of what comes next, we have set up a new gofund me page, you can support Jakob’s journey here: https://gofund.me/1727dc4e6

Follow along on TikTok: tiktok.com/@jakob.de.brum