Earlier this year, Eleanor Warrington sat down with British Taekwondo to discuss her journey in the sport.  

Eleanor Warrington

Her journey so far

It all started at her local club, Carlton Arena Taekwondo in Nottingham at the age of 8 years old, following a recommendation of a family friend. She enjoyed practicing Taekwondo at her club for approximately 4-5 years. After taking a break during her teenage years, Eleanor returned to Taekwondo while she was an undergraduate at Birmingham University. 

Eleanor explained that the main two elements of the taekwondo she enjoyed was Poomsae and the belt system.  Poomsae was enjoyable for the memorising of the patterns and the satisfaction of remembering and improving her patterns. The belt system allowed her to see personal progression of getting better, which validated her progression. This was important to help build her confidence. 

Eleanor has moved from Birmingham to Oxford University and is now training 2-4 times a week which she splits across Aldis Taekwondo Oxford and her university Taekwondo club. Training with Aldis Taekwondo, a WT style club and member of British Taekwondo, has given her access to various development opportunities within Para Taekwondo.  

Eleanor explained that she enjoys the getting involved in student taekwondo as she enjoys the vibe and community. She goes onto explain that her drive for taekwondo training is an outlet for stress, helps with her mental health and gives her a purpose as a disabled athlete with access to the Para opportunities.  

Eleanor explained about her competition experiences and reasoning. She confirmed that she had competed a Poomsae Nationals, had competed at British Universities and Colleges Sports (BUCS) events and British University Taekwondo League (BUTL) events across a range of disciplines. She has mentioned that she has enjoyed trying sparring. Following these competitions she had become a member of the BUTL National Student Squad. 

Eleanor Warrington 1

Eleanor’s advice for somebody new
She explained that you shouldn’t worry about that first session as nobody is good the first time they have a go. Always remember that this is new and unfamiliar and if you keep coming back, this will help you to improve your patterns and confidence.  She also explained that if you are a Para Athlete/Player to not be afraid to ask questions if you are struggling with your disability in training. The instructor will look to see what adaptations can be made to help you.   

Eleanor’s Top Tip
Eleanor explained that during your time training, things do happen and to remember that “this is part of training and is not a reflection of your ability overall” 

Does Eleanor have any funny stories in her taekwondo journey?
She responded with that as she is at Oxford University, she originally thought she would be more relaxed with her commitment to Taekwondo and treat it more as a hobby, having previously been on the University of Birmingham club committee for 3 years. Now she is the president of the club and trains multiple times a week, attending as many competitions and seminars as she can. 

What is the future for Eleanor?
She explained that Poomsae has always been key for her, and she looks to continue her Para Poomsae squad training, she comes home from these sessions positive and excited about the improvements she is making. Eleanor also mentioned about continuing with her sparing to help build confidence and improvement.  She would like to do her 4th Dan grading when the time comes. 

Eleanor was asked finally: Why choose Taekwondo as a Sport? 

In her journey, it was a local sports club to start but once she tried it, she found that the range of content within Taekwondo is so much better than other sports. The key benefits are strength, flexibility, mental strength, athleticism, cardio, strength in flexibility and more!  One great part of the sport is the multiple options to try, Poomsae, Kyorugi & Martial Art, which gives everyone an opportunity to get something out of Taekwondo. The Belt system is a fantastic way for people to get a reward and achieve smaller milestones on their journey. The key message is “everyone can get something out of Taekwondo”  whatever their personal goals may be.