Droylsden teenager makes history on world jiu-jitsu stage

A 14-year-old from Droylsden has completed a remarkable hat-trick of international Grand Slams while living thousands of miles from home to chase his dreams.

Carlos Southworth recently achieved what his family believes is an unprecedented feat for a European youngster after completing his third consecutive IBJJF Kids Grand Slam.

The teenager has once again won the European Championship, Brazilian National Championship, and Pan Kids Championship, completing the extraordinary treble in Brazilian jiu-jitsu for the third year running.

And, as far as Carlos and his family are aware, he is the only child from Europe to have ever achieved three consecutive IBJJF Kids Grand Slams.

But while the medals and championships have taken him around the world, Carlos's story began much closer to home — on the mats at MatRatz BJJ in Droylsden, where he first started training with his dad at just four years old.

A decade later, the youngster is competing internationally and training at one of the world's most renowned Brazilian jiu-jitsu academies, Art of Jiu-Jitsu (AOJ) in California.

In total, Carlos has now won three consecutive IBJJF Kids Grand Slams, five European Kids titles, three Brazilian National titles, three Pan Kids titles and a Pan Pacific title, alongside numerous other international successes across Europe, Brazil, Australia, and the United States.

Yet behind those impressive statistics is the story of a teenager who has had to grow up quickly in order to pursue his sporting ambition.

At just 14, Carlos is living thousands of miles away from his family in California, where he trains at an elite level while continuing his education.

Away from his parents, he has had to learn to manage the everyday responsibilities of life independently while maintaining a demanding training schedule and travelling internationally to compete.

There is, of course, a strong support network around him — but the discipline and commitment required to turn up every day, train, study, and compete at the highest level are very much his own.

And despite now spending much of his time on the other side of the Atlantic, Carlos has never forgotten where his journey began, with Droylsden remaining home.

His first steps in Brazilian jiu-jitsu came at MatRatz BJJ, training alongside his dad and developing the foundations that would eventually take him from local mats in Tameside and Manchester to some of the biggest competitions in the world.

Today, he is competing in countries including the USA, Brazil, Australia, and across Europe, representing one of the world's leading academies — but also proudly carrying his Droylsden roots with him.

For his family, that is perhaps the most important part of his remarkable journey.

The championships and medals are an extraordinary achievement, but so too is the maturity Carlos has developed along the way.

Leaving home at such a young age, adapting to a new country and culture, maintaining his education, and committing himself to an elite sporting programme requires a level of independence and resilience far beyond what most 14-year-olds are asked to demonstrate.

Now, Carlos is set to return to Droylsden for a few weeks in September, giving him the chance to spend time with his family and return to the club where it all started. He will also have the opportunity to share some of his experience with the next generation of young athletes coming through at MatRatz BJJ in Manchester.

For the youngster himself, returning home is an important reminder of just how far he has travelled — both literally and figuratively.

From a four-year-old boy stepping onto the mats with his dad in Droylsden to a 14-year-old competing for major international titles across three continents, Carlos's journey has taken him a long way from his home in Tameside.