Mozhdeh, who combines training twice a day with running Mozhdeh Martial Arts, a martial arts club based in Paraparaumu, is now a New Zealand resident.

Mozhdeh grew up in Jouaybar in northern Iran as one of five children, all of whom were encouraged to take up taekwondo by his father Sheydol, later becoming black belts.

Mozhdeh’s passion for and dedication to taekwondo grew, and now he is hoping to compete in the sport on the biggest of stages next year.

He is a multiple national champion in Iran, Australia and New Zealand, but almost suffered a major setback in his Olympic quest last year when suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury at the Oceania Championships in Tahiti.

"I wanted to have the surgery in New Zealand but the wait list to do the MRI was about three weeks, and then about four months for the surgery," Mozhdeh said, as reported by the New Zealand Herald.

"I felt that if I waited that long I would miss out on my chances for Olympic selection.

"So I went to Iran and got the MRI and surgery done in three days."

Mozhdeh is aiming to earn Olympic selection in the under-68 kilograms category, his original weight category for Paris 2024, having moved up to the +80kg heavyweight division for last year’s continental championships.

The next steps on his journey are competing at the national championships, due to be held in Auckland on August 19 and 20, and then next year’s Oceania Championships.

Mozhdeh runs his martial arts club with his partner Stella Bismark, who he said had been a great support as he embarks on the next steps of his Olympic journey.

"I’m very confident and grateful to have a coach {world taekwondo champion Omid Amidi} as well as Stella’s support," Mozhdeh said.

New Zealand has never medalled in taekwondo at the Olympics, and sent one athlete to Tokyo 2020, Tom Burns, who competed in the men's under-68kg category, losing in the repechage phase.