If Joel Townley isn’t jumping for joy around his parents’ home in Hucclecote pretty much day in, day out, then he probably should be because he’s got plenty to be happy about.

The 18-year-old Gloucester Athletic Club member is a hugely talented triple jumper, someone who has risen to the top of the pile in this country in his age group.

Earlier this year he was crowned English Schools’ senior boys triple jump champion in Birmingham, 12 months after winning a silver in the same event.

And two years ago he won gold in the English Schools’ intermediate competition, so young Townley – he’s not 19 until April – is seriously good.

Good enough, in fact, to have broken a record belonging to one of the great names in the sport – Jonathan Edwards.

Edwards won Olympic gold for Great Britain in the 2000 Olympics and is still the world record-holder today but Townley took his senior boys’ record when he was competing at the South West Schools’ Championships last year.

“He acknowledged the performance by congratulating me on his Twitter,” said Townley.

In fact it’s not just triple jump that Townley is good at because he’s also a decent long jumper and high jumper.

“When I started with Gloucester Athletic Club I used to think that my best event was the high jump,” said Townley, who left Crypt School at the end of the last summer term and is now doing a four-year engineering apprenticeship.

“Now the triple jump is my speciality.”

Townley joined Gloucester AC at the tail-end of 2014.

“I’d broken a few school records on sports days so it was suggested that I joined the club,” explained Townley.

And he’s not regretted it for a minute as under the watchful eye of his coach Jo Willoughby he has produced some very impressive performances.

“My PB in the triple jump is 14.80 metres, but I’ve jumped 14.93 with a little bit of wind assistance,” he said.

“This year I was sixth overall in the under-20 boys’ rankings in this country.”

That’s some going when you consider that Townley is still a year young in that age group and his stats at long and high jump are pretty impressive too.

“My best in the high jump is 1.87 and in the long jump I’ve jumped 6.87,” he said.

He still competes in both those events for his club but says the triple jump is his number one these days.

“There are so many different elements to it,” he said. “I find it a very interesting event, it’s exciting.”

And it’s not just the jumping, Townley has to work hard on his running too.

“That’s very important,” he said. “I do a lot of running sessions – Richard Blackwell is my sprint coach – and I also do a lot of strength and conditioning work.”

He certainly does because a typical week will see him do three track sessions a week which can last from one-and-a-half to two hours each and two gym sessions a week which will last for a similar length of time.

Next year he’s targeting the Under-20 UK Championships but he also wants to qualify for the senior championships as well.

“I’d like to have a go at the big boys,” he said.

Young Townley, understandably, is not short of confidence and he has already competed in international schools’ events in Dublin, Loughborough and Cardiff with considerable success.

That’s given him a taste of international sport and he certainly wants more.

“I’d love to get a Great Britain vest,” he said. “That’s one of those experiences I really want to enjoy.

“If I did get the chance I’d love to compete in a Commonwealth Games or higher, I’d like to go as far as I can.

“To compete at senior international level would be really nice.”

But while clearly ambitious, Townley also has a sensible head on his shoulders because he adds: “My career in engineering is my main priority. I want to have a career to fall back on, I won’t go full-time in athletics.”

And it’s fair to say he’s doing pretty well as a ‘part-timer’ anyway!