Meet British Taekwondo members, the Stephens family.

It’s superb hearing stories from our members and the reasons why they do Taekwondo. In this feature we meet the Stephens – four members of the same family who train at Taekwondo Cymru in Little Mill, Pontypool.

The family’s Instructor, Sarah Farthing from Taekwondo Cymru, tells us more…

Four years ago, Zoe was looking for a martial arts class for her son Aaron and stumbled across our Little Mill class. Soon enough Aaron was signed up and found his love for the traditional side of Taekwondo.

Shortly after Aaron’s older brother, David, who happened to drop him off at a class found himself taking part in a taster session after I exclaimed to him that he was built for Taekwondo! David took to the sport like a duck to water and was fast-tracked into the competitive side after joining Master Porl Stone’s elite class.

With all of this going on, Zoe decided not to be a sideline mum and joined the class as the only parent. As well as going through the belt grading system Zoe also tried her hand at the competitive side and has since medalled in three British Taekwondo National Championships in the veteran’s division. And if that wasn’t enough, Aaron and David’s cousin, Riley, noticed all the fun the family was having and joined, most recently achieving his green belt!

The Stephens are a very warm and dedicated family who are well liked across all of our Taekwondo Cymru classes. Come rain or shine they won’t miss training and even took part in up to five sessions per week during the days of lockdown for online classes.

The next goal for the family is achieving their black belts which they have vowed to do together. David will be competing in the advanced category in competitions and Zoe is hoping to obtain her fourth consecutive National Championships medal. Aaron would like to go down the route of teaching one day, and Riley is enjoying going through the belt colours and making new friends at the class.

This amazing family highlight just how Taekwondo is for all. Each member has chosen their path within the martial art, be it sport or traditional, and it is a joy to watch them evolve together.

For more information about the club and how you can begin your Taekwondo journey, visit the Taekwondo Cymru website.

Photos: Submitted.

If you would like to share your Taekwondo story please contact Richard Gottfried, Marketing, Digital & Media Manager via media@britishtaekwondo.org