Young taekwondo champ off to Noumea | Bay of Plenty Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Bay of Plenty

Her 14th birthday comes just in time next month.

Any later and the Tauranga Girls' College student Jamie Carpenter from Welcome Bay would be ineligible to represent New Zealand in December's 2010 Oceania Taekwondo championships in Noumea.

"The minimum age to take part is 14," says her father and coach, Garry.

Jamie has been selected to compete in the under-55kg junior (Under 18) women's division of the championships where she can expect to face opponents who are several years older.

She is one of two Tauranga members of the 40-strong NZ squad chosen to compete in Noumea. Tiarn Ririnui from Tauranga Boys College will compete in the junior boys under 59kg class.

Jamie was selected after finishing runner-up for the 2010 NZ open junior female under-59kg taekwondo title at the recent national championships in Rotorua. There were no opponents in her class and she had to step up to the heavier weight division.

She took up the sport four years ago at Oropi and these days trains with the Welcome Bay Olympic Taekwondo Club.

Garry credits his daughter's success to "fitness and flexibility", saying her stamina, achieved by training against older opponents, is generally telling in the latter stages of bouts.

In coming weeks Jamie will be intensifying her training and be keeping a close watch on her weight to remain within the 55kg weight class.