A North East teenager is set to compete in the Teenage CrossFit Games world finals in the USA next month.

Local charity The PFC Trust recently handed Lewin Tubuna, from Hartlepool, a £1,000 grant to help with the cost of travel to the States.

(Image: Ian Horrocks/Rephrase)

Lewin said: "I am so grateful to The PFC Trust and everyone else for helping because the cost of accommodation, flights, training gear and supplements needed to compete at the finals are expensive."

He is one of only two boys from across the UK who has qualified for the event in his 14-15 age category after shooting from 140th place globally to sixth.

(Image: Ian Horrocks/Rephrase)

He is the best-ranked in the UK and third in Europe taking part in the competition.

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He said: "I have had to come through three stages.

"An open stage, where everyone can enter, the quarter-finals and semi-finals – spread over five days each of video work-outs at Evolve.

"The top 30 round the world go to Michigan."

(Image: Ian Horrocks/Rephrase)

Hartlepool Sport's new chief operating officer, Calvin George, said: "Lewin is a prime example of what can be achieved by young athletes from this little town of Hartlepool with a 90,000 population.

"To be putting the area on the CrossFit map through Lewin’s talent is fantastic."

Tubuna has also just completed his GCSEs at High Tunstall College of Science, and will start a Level 3 in sport and exercise science course at Hartlepool Sixth Form College in September.

He is keen to continue his CrossFit journey and qualify for the elite individual world finals for over-17s.