Video: Northern Ireland car repairer strikes world bronze at 'skills Olympics' in Lyon
A car repairer from Ballymena has smashed all expectations bringing home a bronze medal from the 'skills Olympics' in Lyon.
David McKeown was among 1,500 competitors from 80 nations competing in dozens of skills disciplines on the world stage at the WorldSkills 2024. The event was watched by over 250,000 spectators.
The 20-year-old, who works for his family firm James McKeown Accident Repair in Broughshane and trains at Riverpark Training in Northern Ireland, came third for Team UK in auto-body repair at the competition in France.
The event allows apprentices and vocational students world-wide to showcase their talents in areas such as engineering, construction and computer coding on the global stage.
Touching down exhausted from his efforts, David said he was ‘overwhelmed’ and full of pride, hope and plans for the future.
David McKeown was among 1,500 competitors from 80 nations competing in dozens of skills disciplines on the world stage at the WorldSkills 2024. The event was watched by over 250,000 spectators.
The 20-year-old, who works for his family firm James McKeown Accident Repair in Broughshane and trains at Riverpark Training in Northern Ireland, came third for Team UK in auto-body repair at the competition in France.
The event allows apprentices and vocational students world-wide to showcase their talents in areas such as engineering, construction and computer coding on the global stage.
Touching down exhausted from his efforts, David said he was ‘overwhelmed’ and full of pride, hope and plans for the future.
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04:18It was a really hard third day.
04:20It was really hard to bounce back from day three.
04:22My first two days, I couldn't ask for two better days.
04:25Japan and I were really leading it then.
04:28China was coming close.
04:30And then third and fourth day, China,
04:32he caught up with us. I had a bad day on the third day.
04:34And then fourth day, I had a revival,
04:36and I was just about dead, so I'm happy I did.
04:38Yeah, but I took everything.
04:41It was so hard.
04:43Immediate thoughts when they called your name out?
04:47Adrenaline.
04:49Such an adrenaline rush.
04:51Delighted. You don't know what to think.
04:53You can't believe it's finally here.
04:55You can hardly even believe it's over whenever it is over.
04:57But yeah, so pleased.
04:59So pleased I've done it.
05:01I've wanted it for...
05:03I started competing four years ago.
05:05Two years in tennis training.
05:07Yeah, it took over my whole life.
05:09And yeah, I've done it. I've got the medal.
05:11And the message to everyone back home is,
05:15Yeah, they always believed in me.
05:17They never doubted me.
05:19Yeah, it's quite emotional.
05:21I want to say thanks for always being there.
05:24And yeah...
05:26Who in particular do you want to say thank you to?
05:28Gracie, my girlfriend.
05:30She was always there by my side, supporting me.
05:33Bad days.
05:35I work around the clock, every day of the week.
05:37Six days a week.
05:39And she always just gets it.
05:41She's always there, understanding.
05:43Yeah, I appreciate it.
05:44So I want to say thanks.
05:45College training manager, employer?
05:47Yeah, Colin Hagan.
05:49He trained me a lot of Saturday mornings, Friday evenings.
05:52My dad worked for a family business, James McKeown.
05:56And yeah, he's always stuck with me.
05:58I'm training all the time at the minute, month of August.
06:00I hardly even work a week.
06:02And yeah, he's always there.
06:04It's fine, and he'll suffer, and I'll get the benefit.
06:06But it's paid off. We're here now.
06:08So yeah.
06:09A life-changing moment, this, tonight?
06:11Yeah, life-changing.
06:13Can't wait to go home and relax.
06:15Just move on.
06:17Work like a normal person, it'll be so good.
06:19But yeah.
06:20And what does the future hold for your career,
06:23having just been chosen as one of the top people in your profession?
06:29We own a family business, a body shop,
06:31James McKeown Accident Repair.
06:33I want to really push it.
06:34I want to go international with it, same way I did.
06:37I went against the world, I want to send it against the world.
06:39I want to go into another country, start from scratch.
06:41My dad built our business in Northern Ireland.
06:44Built it from the ground up.
06:45I want to do the same somewhere else, out of Europe,
06:48somewhere really hard, a challenge,
06:50and try to do the same my dad did and prove it.
06:52And yeah, that's my dream.
06:54Fantastic. Well done.
06:55Can we have a flag moment?
06:56Yeah, no problem.
07:03What do you want me to do?
07:04Just into the camera would be brilliant.
07:07Yeah, wrap yourself and maybe the point.
07:11Yeah, let's see that.
07:13Let's do the old bite the medal.
07:19Got it?
07:20Brilliant. Absolutely fantastic.
07:22Thank you so much, mate.
07:23Congratulations.
07:25Can I take it where nobody ever would imagine it to go?
07:29It's my dream.
07:30I like doing unthinkable things this year.
07:33I was 15, I dreamed about this day, like 15, 29.
07:38Yeah, I want to do the unthinkable with the business.
07:40I want to take it across the world, go again,
07:43and see if I can do it.
07:45I look forward to seeing your name in red lights everywhere.
07:48You'll come in and see my apprentices.
07:51Well, there's time for me to retrain yet,
07:54so yeah, I can join you.
07:57Brilliant. Well, congratulations and good luck with the future.
08:01Thank you very much.
08:03Thanks for speaking to me.
08:04All right, thank you.
08:05Dave, anything unique that's occurred to you in the meantime?
08:08I want to encourage apprentices to join the trade, especially.
08:12Now it's hard for 15-year-olds, 16-year-olds to leave school.
08:15They're forced into uni a lot,
08:17but this program, for example, World Skills,
08:20I didn't know about it until the month I was leaving school.
08:23Heard about it, I wanted it.
08:25I went to bed looking up YouTube videos, couldn't find anything.
08:28And then went to college and I was put in for it.
08:32I'd like more awareness given in this,
08:34so definitely young people need to join the trade.
08:36There's so many opportunities like this, going against the world.
08:39I've been to Thailand in March, went against Japan there.
08:43He beat me, he beat me again, but we'll have to let it go.
08:46That was the final today.
08:47But yeah, there's so many opportunities in the trade, in any trade,
08:50and this is such an example of it today.
08:52So yeah, that's it.
08:54Brilliant. All right.
08:56What's going on down there?
08:58My guess?
09:003 a.m.
09:04Yeah, Tuesday will be hard on them.