Hoping for Fireworks at 3rd European Para-Taekwondo Championship!

Para-taekwondo continues to progress in Europe, and we are exceptionally proud to have our own experienced and dedicated British Para-Taekwondo committee driving Para-Taekwondo forward in the UK.

The 27th of this month will see the European Para-Taekwondo Championships take place in Turkey, at the impressive Maritim Pine Resort Hotel Convention Center.

This event, the third of its kind, will see athletes and support teams arrive on the 24th-25th, for classifications on the following day and the Championships on the 27th.

This year, there will also be an International Seminar between the 25th and 27th. Held under patronage of the WTF Para-Taekwondo Poomsae Committee, and the very first to happen, the seminar aims to give attendees experience in both observation and classification of Kyorugi and Poomsae athletes.

Although we have no British candidates attending the Seminar this time, we do very much have a talented athlete prepared to compete in the Championships on the 27th.

Amy Truesdale has competed in both able-bodied and Para-Taekwondo, winning many able-bodied titles. Most recently the 25-year-old took Silver at the British Taekwondo National Championships, having competed every year for the past eight Nationals; medalling in every one.

Her Instructor, 7th Dan Master Peter Johnson said: I am delighted with Amys progression.She has tremendous flexibility and technique, and she trains very hard at our private facility in the week. Here she undergoes one-to-one coaching, focusing on improving and maintaining world competition standard.

Amy, who has a lower arm deficiency, was the first ever GB athlete to compete in the first WTF Para-Taekwondo World Championships in Azerbaijan, where she claimed Bronze for her country. Since then, she has competed in five Worlds, becoming a three-time Silver medalist, and this year became Para-Taekwondo K44 World Champion after winning Gold in Russia.

From her home in Chester, Amy makes the journey to Stoke on Trent (where she has trained for fifteen years) every week to train with Instructor Peter. Here shes been preparing to compete in the forthcoming CTU Commonwealth Championships this month, with hopes to also replicate her golden success at the last Europeans in Romania in 2013.

The European event will be another test of the young athletes hard work and perseverance, as the standard of Para-taekwondo continues to soar. With an increased number of competing athletes and intensity of training, the bar is raised each year.

We would like to wish Amy all the very best for both the Commonwealth Championships and also the 3rd European Para-Taekwondo Championships. We would also like to wish all selected Teams preparing to compete in the Commonwealth Championships the very best. We cant wait to see some explosive performances in Edinburgh this month!