A young Huddersfield athlete has won two gold medals at a world championships.

Freya Tyndall, 21, also returned home with a bronze medal after she never expected to end up on the winners’ podium at the World Dwarf Games in Germany.

Freya won golds in the 100m sprint and the 60m sprint and the bronze playing for the Team GB football team when they beat the USA 3-1 in the third and fourth place play-offs. The team trains at the Manchester City training ground.

Freya is the daughter of Sean and Jane Tyndall who live in Honley where Sean runs his own butcher’s shop simply called Sean The Butcher.

Jane said: “Freya went to the games simply to do her very best – she is always so positive yet humble and said she just didn’t want to end up last so to finish with three medals and two of them gold was way beyond all her expectations. It was an amazing experience for all of us.”

There were 600 athletes from 25 countries competing and Freya beat rivals from nations such as the USA, Germany and Australia on her way to victory on the track.

Freya (right) piles in to celebrate after Team GB score a vital goal at the World Dwarf Games

Freya’s success is all the more special as she suffers from a condition called achondroplasia which means she has little or no cartilage between her bones and this makes walking and movement painful. Sometimes she needs to use a wheelchair.

Jane added: “When Freya has done a run it really takes it out of her and she needs to rest.”

Freya also competed in boccia in the individual, pairs and Team GB categories. Boccia is like the French game boules but played from a seated position so is ideal for people with all kinds of disabilities.

She was at the games for 11 days which were held at The German Sports University in Cologne.

It’s been a busy time for the family as 55-year-old Sean only started his own butchery business in Moorbottom, Honley, a couple of months ago.

He’d done his training in the same shop when it was called Paul’s Family Butchers and worked there for many years before moving to Bolster Moor Farm Shop and then Hinchliffe’s Farm Shop at Netherton where he was the butchery manager.

Jane said: “We’d planned the World Dwarf Games 12 months ago but when the chance of owning the shop came up we knew it was an opportunity Sean couldn’t turn down. It meant he could only be at the games for four days so unfortunately missed Freya winning the medals.”

The next World Dwarf Games will be held in Australia in 2027 and Freya certainly intends to compete again.

Freya attended Golcar Junior and Infant School, Newsome High and Huddersfield New College. She now works as an administration receptionist at Slaithwaite Health Centre.

Written by ANDY HIRST who runs his own Yorkshire freelance journalism agency AH! PR (https://ah-pr.com/) specialising in press releases, blogging, website content and copywriting.