The parents of an Enfield lad, who recently became the youngest person in Britain to gain a black belt in the martial art of Taekwondo, were told at his birth that he would never be able to play physical sport.

Giorgio Ryan was born premature - just 32 weeks into mum Pares' pregnancy.

He spent his first weeks of life in an incubator and the fact that his kidneys were in the wrong place, and his mother suffers from a disability, gave cause for concern, and doctors pronounced that he would not be able to take part in sporting activities. Giorgio weighed in at Queen Charlotte's Hospital, Hammersmith, at just four pounds two ounces.

But despite the enormous set-back, the eight-year-old took his sport by storm recently, defying all the odds to become the youngest holder of the sport's highest ranking honour. He then went on to represent England in Taekwondo's World Championships, held in Birmingham.

Proud dad, Kevin, said: "Look at Giorgio now and it seems almost unbelievable. What he does is not bad for a child who was born very early to a disabled mum and who they said would never be able to do physical sport."

An example of the never say never gutsy Giorgio spirit is that on the day he represented his country in Taekwondo, he dashed back from Birmingham to Aylesbury to compete in a football tournament, playing for Enfield Football Club's Under-eights team.

"He was very tired at the end of the day but was determined to do his bit for his team. Even though both games he played in ended in defeat he still walked away smiling," said Mr Ryan.

The following weekend was less hectic when he took part in an Inter Club Taekwondo tournament in Hemel Hempstead and won gold medals in the boys' black belt under-15 category and pee wee sparring.

After that he was off to a friend's birthday party.

Now Giorgio faces another challenge. He's going to appear before BBC television cameras in a future children's programme featuring his achievements.