Three martial artists from South West Taekwondo Academy (SWTKD) will represent their country on the world stage later this year.
Kieran McDermott, 25, Ben Turner, 23, and Elliane Reader, 17, have been selected for the national team.
The trio successfully completed grueling try-outs to earn a spot with International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) England at the World Championship in Croatia.
Instructor Master Vaughan Buxton, a 7th degree black belt and a British, European and World title holder, said: “They have worked incredibly hard over the years and it’s an amazing achievement to be selected to represent your country.”
The students took part in a full day selection process. They had to perform to a high standard at the trials and were also judged on their achievements at local and regional competitions throughout the year.
Resilience
Coach Gavin Reader, who is a 3rd degree Black Belt in the Korean-based martial art and has been a sports coach for two decades, said: “The students not only performed well at competitions, but have shown a positive attitude and resilience throughout their training.
“They have been prepared to put in the hard work, listen to their instructors and learn lessons along the way. As a club, we are all very proud of them.”
Kieran, a third-degree black belt, who is a first-class law with business graduate from the University of the West of England (UWE) and works as a trainee solicitor with Wollens, is a former World and European champion.
He took up the sport at the age of five and is an assistant coach with the club.
Ben, a second-degree black belt, who studied sports rehabilitation at UWE and now works as a neurological physiotherapist with Neurokinex, was awarded best overall male at the European Championships last year.
Rehabilitation
Ben’s 15 years of martial arts training and competition experience complements his work at Neurokinex, which is a not-for-profit organisation set up to improve people’s health, independence and wellbeing while living with paralysis.
Ben, who also draws on his academic background in biomechanics and applied anatomy, tailors strength and conditioning techniques to meet individual clients’ rehabilitation needs.
He said: “Being selected to represent England is a huge honour and a proud moment for me.
“The physical and mental demands of training at this level directly support my work at Neurokinex. The discipline, resilience and precision I’ve learned through taekwondo are all qualities that I apply daily when working with clients.
“The sport has given me a deeper understanding of movement, recovery and mindset, which I use to help clients reach their rehabilitation goals.”
Taekwondo offers a range of health benefits including enhanced balance, flexibility, stamina, strength and posture. Mentally, it fosters confidence, resilience and self-esteem – qualities that Ben believes enhance the outcomes of his work with clients.
Young competitor
Elliane, a third-degree black belt who is studying A levels in law, sociology and English at St Brendan’s Sixth Form College, is the youngest competitor from the club.
But she is no stranger to competing at an international level –winning a European Championship title and earning her black belt by the age of 11.
More recently, she won gold and silver medals at the European Championships held in Cardiff last summer.
The former Chandag Primary School and Wellsway School pupil started taekwondo when she was four and is a frequent competitor on the national and international stage.
She said: “We are delighted to have been selected for the national team. We are very grateful for all the support of our instructors – not just in training but for all the work they do behind the scenes to make this possible.”
The championships are set to take place from October 6 to 12 in Porec, Croatia.
The club is open to students from the age of four, with no upper limit, and of mixed abilities.
Taekwondo emphasises fast kicking techniques and is said to promote physical and mental strength. SWTKD welcomes students from four-years-of-age and with no upper limit.
Aside from competitions, the club has other activities lined-up throughout the year – from parties to summer camps, which are open to all members, as well as friends and family.
