TAEKWON -DO
A BANGOR man has won two gold medals in the Irish Taekwon-Do championships.
Dean Pritchard became a double national champion when he was successful in the patterns and sparring categories at the championships held in Limerick earlier this month.
Dean, who started his own local Taekwon-Do school earlier this year, only took up the sport at the age of 20. He enjoyed the discipline so much, he rapidly progressed through the ranks to third degree black belt.
He has been teaching for over 10 years, and in January took the plunge to start his own club, Elite Taekwon-Do NI, based in the Aurora Leisure Centre, Bangor.
There was further success for one of Dean’s students, 10 year-old Kristians Frisbergs, from Newtownards, who took the gold medal in patterns in the blue belt division.
The two-day tournament saw over 1,200 competitors from six different nations take to the mats to battle it out in various groups divided by age, rank, height and weight. Medals were awarded for the display of various skills, such as patterns, sparring, special techniques and power.
“There’s such a great sense of achievement in training young people to national and international competition levels,“ said Dean.
“And when you can lead by example, it really helps students with their motivation.”
Dean has achieved such success with his club this year that he now has plans to expand, with new classes starting in Girdwood Community Hub in Belfast on January 6.
For more information email elitetaekwondoni@gmail.com or call/text 07825 235480.
