On Sunday 23rd November at the National Taekwondo Centre in Manchester, history was made.
Nicola Barber – known in Taekwondo as Master Ferguson – became the youngest 7th Dan in British Taekwondo at the age of 36. It was an achievement more than 25 years in the making, and one earned through extraordinary dedication, resilience, and belief.
From first stepping onto the mats at Carlton Arena Taekwondo at the age of 10, to years of perseverance, patience, and determination under the stewardship of Grandmaster Ian Lennox at Kang Han Taekwondo, Master Ferguson has committed a quarter of a Century to Taekwondo, with a number of milestone moments throughout that time.
Last month’s High Dan Promotion Test was just the latest achievement in a Taekwondo journey that has seen her travel the World and break down barriers, all while juggling life as a mother, teacher, and charity founder in Nottingham.
In fact, the 7th Dan success came in a month where she competed at the National Poomsae Championships, battled for her place on the GB Poomsae Squad, and was recognised for The King’s Award for Voluntary Service. It’s safe to say that Master Ferguson doesn’t live your ordinary life.
Throughout it all, Taekwondo has been a constant, with her unwavering commitment to the Martial Art seeing her earn her first black belt by the age of 13, before continuing her upward trajectory over the past two decades.
In fact, her ascent through the Taekwondo sphere has been so rapid that November’s accolade was a long-time coming, with the age restrictions associated with 7th Dan status keeping her from grading for over 12 months, before turning 36 in August opened the door.
Not only is Master Ferguson the youngest 7th Dan in British Taekwondo, she joins a select group of 7th Dan female British Taekwondo members, with High Dan Promotion Test panel member Grand Master Gemma Biescas the only female 8th Dan in British Taekwondo at time of writing. These women continue to prove that anything is possible, with nothing standing in their way.
She attributes her indomitable spirit and self-belief to the leadership of Grandmaster Lennox at Kang Han. He gave her the confidence to rise through the ranks and continue to blaze a trail, with his support ensuring she could pursue her passion.
She said: “I honestly think Master Lennox has been so influential. He has been my biggest advocate all the way through. He’s supported me in anything that I’ve wanted to do, anything I’ve wanted to try and never put glass ceilings in place.
“Even when I put a ceiling on myself, he was telling me that we can do this. We’ve got this. He’s been my biggest supporter all the way through
“On some days he has believed in me more than I have. I’ve got him to thank for so much.
This culture of support, equality, and respect is a defining element of Kang Han, and is an environment that helped shape Nicola’s belief that anyone can achieve anything in Taekwondo, and now as a senior female Master, she is seeing the impact directly.
She explained: “We’ve never been separated off boys and girls. We just fight the boys. We’re treated the same way. The expectation was always the same. We can do it, and there’s no reason why you can’t. Within my club environment, we have a lot of respect.
“It’s part of my club culture at Kang Han, we have six female masters and female black belts. So as part of the club culture we’ve got, the quality is really good, and that support has been amazing all the way through.”
With her prestigious ranking in the sport, Master Ferguson has – unwittingly – become a role model for females in Taekwondo. Girls have seen her achieve, and now they believe. With a recent experience proving just how influential her journey can be on the younger generation.
“I went to the Dongmeng seminar last year, and I stood at the very top, surrounded by guys. I’m tiny as well, I’m five foot one, so I look very out of place anyway.
“As I went to the changing rooms afterwards, I had teenage girls coming up saying, ‘You’ll have your seventh Dan soon, that’s amazing, we can do it too.
“It was really humbling in so many ways to have these younger teenage girls look up to me in that way, and that I have been able to give back that little bit of belief that the girls can do it as well.
“Anything is possible, don’t let anybody put a glass ceiling on you, determination and having that respect for yourself and for others gets you a really long way.
“It’s that belief and finding it in yourself, but finding the right person or people to support you along the way as well.”
Becoming the first GB female Poomsae athlete at the World University Games in 2011 was yet another landmark occasion for Master Ferguson, while her continued performances at National and International Championships have seen her become a regular in the Poomsae Elite Squad, having returned to the scene in 2021 after a ten-year hiatus.
You’d think that would be enough for your regular human, but on top of all that, Master Ferguson also has her My Bag Charity, which she co-founded with her father, Stuart, seven years ago.
“It’s for children entering foster care,” she explains. “We provide a practical bag of comfort items to all those children who enter foster care in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.”
The charity was born out of Nicola’s experience as both the daughter of foster carers and a foster carer herself, and after researching solutions, she built a system in partnership with the local foster care network.
These packages can be salvation for those in the foster system – as well as young people in semi-independent care – who receive money to live off, as well as hygiene, cleaning and sanitary products throughout the year.
Each box has the power to make a huge difference for those that are living a life of constant change and unsettlement, and Nicola’s dedication to the cause led to My Bag’s national recognition last month with The King’s Award for Voluntary Service:
“We had two boys come to us 10 years ago, and they came to us on the week of Christmas with nothing.
“They turned up in a police car with just the clothes they were wearing, a toothbrush each and a book and that was it.
“We had to go through the foster care kids council, set up a system with social workers, we email the hubs every month and provide bags so the child gets them straight away.”
Whether it is in her professional or personal life, Nicola has dedicated herself to making an impact and influencing the lives of others: Through the selfless hours put in to help those in need, the guidance in the classroom helping the next generation to blossom, and the tireless Taekwondo commitment that has allowed others to dream.
And at just 36, she is confident there is more to come when it comes to the dojang and her Taekwondo journey, despite the 12-year wait for her eighth Dan Grading in 2037.
“Grandmaster is the aim now, and why not? Gemma’s done it, so there’s no reason that it can’t be done.”
Master Ferguson stands as a testament to what is possible when talent meets perseverance, and when a person is supported by a community that believes in equality, respect, and opportunity.
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