Burnley College student and Iran-born professional wrestler Danoush Jowkar wins German Open for Great Britain

Sixteen-year-old Danoush, from Sowerby Bridge, is ranked 10th in the world and has just demonstrated what an unstoppable force he is in the week-long contest in Frankfurt.

He dominated the opposition and won all his league matches, including one against an opponent 11 years his senior.

It’s what you’d expect from Danoush though who has an impressive and unrivalled record of success behind him. He’s been both British and English Champion five times and competes internationally for GBR.

The former Calder High School pupil has been wrestling since he was eight years old:

“I was born in Iran and wrestling is hugely popular there. I always had the passion and drive to be successful in sport so I tried everything to see which sport I was best at; swimming, diving, everything. I settled on wrestling. My grandad was a wrestler so wrestling skills must run in the family.”

Danoush studies Advanced Level Sport, Fitness and Physical Training at Burnley College Sixth Form Centre and is a member of our Elite Athlete Programme at Fitness Evolution.

“I came to Burnley College because I’d heard it was easily one of the best oclleges in the UK. I can absolutely confirm that. The facilities are exceptional. I particularly get a lot of use out of the cryotherapy chamber which helps speed up the recovery process.

“Wrestling can be very taxing on your muscles and so anything which makes recovery quicker is so useful. The staff are just incredible too. They’re always there to help with everything from training tips and techniques to the psychology of sport.”

Danoush says as well as being a hugely physical sport, wrestling also requires real mental focus.

“Mentally you have to be so focused before any match. It’s about controlled aggression. Before the match you actively hate your opponent and all you can think about is defeating them.

“After the match you shake hands and even go out and share food together. Learning how to switch that aggression on and off is a vital skill.

“I also do massive amounts of research into my opponents. As soon as I learn who I will be up against I watch all of their available matches, looking to see what their style is and for any weakness and how I can use my skills to shut them down.”

Where next for Danoush?

“I’m always competing. My training regime is pretty tough. I train 12 to 14 times per week; it’s a combination of mat and gym sessions. The mat sessions are really tough and we always spar at the end, but that’s how you get better. My next big competition is the Euro Championships which are in June.

“After that it’s the Olympics in 2028 in Los Angeles. I’m currently 10th in the world and to get there I’m going to have to move up to fifth. It’s a tough challenge but I’m going to get there.”