A BLACKBELT martial arts expert has secured a top world ranking after taking the European Championship title in Taekwondo.
Barnard Castle School student Marc Falco, a 1st Dan, competes at the highest level and is now ranked third in the world in his age group.
The 14-year-old, from Barcelona, is an international boarder at the school, where he is aiming to perfect his English before embarking on a career in business.
“I joined the school because one of my friends came here and told me what a great experience it was,” said Marc, who took up Taekwondo seven years ago. “I love it and it is a great place to train as well as study.
Headmaster Alan Stevens said: “Marc is the perfect example of how school can nurture young people’s talents, whether they are academic, creative or sporting.
“Great care is taken to ensure that students can maximise the opportunities to develop and hone their abilities and embrace the things in life which they feel so passionately about. Having such a highly ranked sportsman like Marc in school really does bolster this culture.”