Riley Burton is 14, the new British Champion in his category, and this November he will pull on a Great Britain kit at the Cadet European Championships.

Riley is from Swinton in South Yorkshire and competes in Taekwondo, a sport that runs in the family. "My dad got me into taekwondo," he says. "He was a black belt 3rd Dan when he was younger."

What started as following in his dad's footsteps has turned into something much bigger. In the last year alone, Riley has stood on international podiums, earned a place training at the GB Taekwondo centre in Manchester, been selected to represent his country, and become British Champion.

This year Riley took silver at the Grand Prix Qualifier in Bulgaria and silver again at the Riga Open in Latvia. Then came the call from British Taekwondo: selection for the GB team at the Cadet European Championships in November.

He is clear about which of those means most. "My proudest moment is being selected by British Taekwondo to represent GB at the Cadet European Championships in November this year. My proudest result is getting a silver medal at the Grand Prix qualifier earlier on this year."

Then, just weeks before the Euros, he added a national title. At the British National Championships in Manchester, Riley came away with gold, making him British Champion in his weight category. Riley's parents shared the news with us straight after the weekend.

His coaches, Pete and Adele, have worked with Riley for around six years as one of his main coaches, covering weekly sessions, development, and coaching at competitions, with a heavy focus on tactical and technical work and performance targets. She sums him up in one line:

"Riley is very hard working, he has the will to win, very good athletic ability and has a great never-give-up attitude."

At home, Riley's parents sees the same drive every day: "Riley is very driven when it comes to taekwondo. What stands out the most is his determination to succeed, whether it's fitting in extra training at home, attending extra training sessions at GB Taekwondo in Manchester, or competing on the international stage. He approaches every training session and match with complete focus and commitment to continuous improvement."

What the Week Actually Looks Like

Riley's week is built around double sessions. Monday to Friday, it's school, home, food to fuel up, then a double training session from 6:15 to 8:45pm. Saturday brings another double session, and one Saturday a month he trains at the GB Taekwondo centre in Manchester. Sundays are free, unless there's extra training or a competition.

That's a demanding schedule for any 14-year-old, and it doesn't stop at the training hall door. His parents describes what it means for the whole household:

"Life is very high energy and relies on constant coordination and discipline. Between training every day, home workouts, schoolwork and long-distance travelling across the UK and internationally for tournaments, balance is key. Early morning starts, packed weekends, and travelling to major comps are a regular feature of our routine, requiring careful planning so schoolwork and recovery never fall behind."

The Nutrition Challenge

With school finishing in the afternoon and training starting in the early evening, the window to eat properly is narrow. Riley is honest about how that used to go: "I used to struggle to fit in meals that were full of the goodness and nutrients I needed to fuel my training sessions. It was always a quick grab-and-go meal."

For his parents, that was exactly the worry:

"With such an intense training schedule and demanding competition calendar, my main concern was making sure Riley was getting the proper, high-level nutrition to support his energy levels, recovery and growth. Juggling school with multi-session training days makes it challenging to rely solely on solid meals on the go, so finding convenient, age-appropriate and safe athletic nutrition was a priority."

Pete and Adele put the stakes in performance terms: "Nutrition plays a huge part. It's all about getting the right balance for hard training and competitions, making sure your body has the correct nutrition to support your level of competition. 1%s matter!"

As his coaches points out, Taekwondo is a weight-category sport, and managing that responsibly is part of competing. The principle for every young athlete is the same: nutrition must support health, growth and performance first. Getting that balance right matters.

How Youth Sport Nutrition Fits In

The family heard about NUTRI-TEEN through other families in the youth sport community. "We were looking for a clean, convenient nutritional solution formulated for growing young athletes rather than standard adult products," says his parents. "Hearing positive feedback within the youth sports community made trying NUTRI-TEEN an easy decision."

Riley's routine is simple: a NUTRI-TEEN Shake after every session. "I use the shakes more than anything. The chocolate flavour is my favourite. I have a shake after every training session to refuel my body."

At home, the change has been about ease and peace of mind:

"It has simplified our routine significantly. Knowing Riley can get quick, digestible, high-quality nourishment before and after a demanding session gives us total peace of mind. His recovery between intense sessions has been consistent, and managing his nutritional needs alongside a busy schedule of school, travel and competition feels far more straightforward and manageable."

Coaches Adele and Pete noticed it in the training hall too: "Riley is more focussed and ready for each training session, and on competition days he seems more energised." And it's not just Riley. "We have a few students who use YSN within our club and we would highly recommend it."

His parents message to other sports parents struggling with nutrition is clear:

"I would say don't overcomplicate it, but prioritise age-appropriate, quality fuelling that fits seamlessly into your family's routine. When managing early morning starts, intensive training schedules and frequent travel, having reliable, clean nutrition that your child actually enjoys taking removes so much stress."

Next Stop: The Cadet Euros

November is the target. Riley heads to the Cadet European Championships wearing a GB kit and arriving as British Champion, and he knows exactly what he wants to come home with: "My biggest goal this year would be getting gold at the Cadet Euros in November. That would be amazing."

And when he isn't training, competing or travelling? "I'm a good baker." For an athlete who refuels after every single session, that might just be the most useful skill of all.

Disclaimer: This article is intended to provide general information about nutrition for youth athletes and is not meant to replace professional dietary advice or individual nutritional counselling. Every child's nutritional needs can vary due to factors such as age, size, physical activity level, and medical conditions. We strongly recommend consulting with a registered dietitian or a healthcare provider before making changes to your child's diet, such as adding food powders. YSN and the authors of this article do not take responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, dietary modification, action, or application of medication which results from reading or following the information contained in this article.