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Para-Taekwondo Athletes

Viktoriia Marchuk: The Ukrainian orphan who refuses to give in

Disability did not prevent a Ukrainian girl from overcoming a tragic past and winning gold at the 2012 Aruba World Para-Taekwondo Championships. But her joy was short-lived. As her coach Yuliya Volkova writes, she needed help.



"My name is Yuliya Volkova. I am 33-years-old, and I am a Ukrainian athlete and coach. I love taekwondo, a sport I had dreamed of since I was seven, but I was not able to start practicing until I was 21.


"Even so, I have been fortunate to compete in a number of tournaments, and won a bronze medal at the European Championships in 2010.


"My coach is my husband, Yuriy Babak, who was the national female team coach from 2001-2007. He is currently secretary general of the Ukraine Taekwondo Federation. As I am a graduate of Zaporizhzhya University in sport, we coach together.


"Three years ago, not far from our dojang, we met a boy with a disability: He only had one arm. His name is Anton, and he was 12. We asked him and his mother if he would like to take up taekwondo. He agreed, and is now a blue belt, who competes across Ukraine.


"He was our dojang's first Para-athlete. We decided to look for more such children, and offer them taekwondo. This made us the first - and so far, the only - dojang offering taekwondo training to the disabled in the country. Now we have seven such children, aged from six to 14, training with us.


"We also have one senior. Her name is Vika. She is our champion and this is her story.


"In December 2011, Viktor Shavlo, a sport teacher at Zaporizhzhya , told us of a girl he knew who was disabled, but seemed a promising potential taekwondo student. That is how we met Vika, or, to give her full name, Viktoriia Marchuk.


"When we first talked to her she was very quiet and shy and was not sure whether she wanted to take up taekwondo - a sport she had never even seen. So we invited her to a New Year's party at the dojang, and showed her some pictures and video from the World Para-Taekwondo Championships. She took some time to think about it.


"In January 2012, she decided to accept our offer. I was immediately impressed by her leg strength and flexibility: She was a natural! As I taught her the kicks and footwork, I really found myself enjoying the teaching. And her talent was not just physical, it was mental, too. From the first, Vika told me that she was there to be a winner. We told her about the upcoming Para-Championship in Aruba in 2012. She said she would do any necessary training to become a champion.





"Perhaps her determination was rooted in her past - for Vika's past is a heart-breaking story. After being born with disabilities in Kiev in 1990 - she has Holt-Oram syndrome and only one arm - the baby Vika was abandoned by her parents. She spent her childhood in an orphanage, a place with terrible facilities.


"Today, Vika does not like to remember or even talk about her lost childhood. She is currently a student at Zaporizhzhya College and is planning to go to Zaporizhzhya National University this summer in order to become a coach in her future. Before coming to taekwondo, she specialised in track and field.


"We knew that she had had a heart operation, and that before she started training, she was under medical supervision. We checked with her doctors; they said that everything was okay. When she started, she was doing taekwondo three times weekly, two hours each session. Then she upped her training to six times a week. Soon, she was training twice a day, for two hours per session. In June 2012, she took part in the first-ever Ukrainian Para-taekwondo Championships, an initiative of my husband.


"In August, we held a training camp in the mountains on the Black Sea coast. It was hard, but Vika did her best. She was motivated to be a champion - a world champion. She spent that summer in our house. I noticed that she did not sleep well. The problem was her shoulder. In September - just two months before the Championships - she had an operation. Within two weeks, although heavily bandaged, she was back in training. This was true force of character.


"By now, Aruba was looming. There is no Governmental support in Ukraine for Para-taekwndo. The trip would be expensive: We needed around $5,000. I looked for sponsors for two months - nothing, not even any interest. Mercifully, we have friends, who gave us some money for flight tickets. Even so, it was not enough.


"Fortunately, I had a friend in Germany. In July I had been invited to Germany for two training camps to help the female athlete Sümeyye Manz to prepare for the Olympics. At that time, I spoke with her uncle, Özer Gülec, about my training of children with disabilities. He said then, that if I needed help, to ask him. So I did...


"And in November, I competed at the Swiss Open, where I was fortunate enough to win a bronze. Athletes from Nuremburg Taekwondo Club Özer, hearing Vika's story, generously donated some of their own money.


"With all this assistance from friends and fellow athletes, our Aruba dream could be realised.


"The flight was a long one - and the first overseas trip for Vika. I worried about her shoulder, but she looked confident. Aruba proved beautiful. The hotel was excellent, all the people were very kind. Next morning we had training, then weigh-in and registration. I was very nervous, but tried not to show it to Vika. I had a bad night...


"The big day arrived. Vika seemed even more focused than usual. The Opening Ceremony was hot and loud. I could hear Vika whispering to herself, 'I must win, win'.


"Her first match was easy enough and by 3pm, she was ready for the final. Then we heard that her match had been put back: It would be the last bout of the day. Finally, the hour arrived. Vika stepped onto the mat. Could a girl with only nine months of training fight at this level of competition?


"She rose to the occasion. Gold! The disabled girl who had been abandoned at birth was at last a champion.


"It was Ukraine's first-ever medal in Para-taekwondo, and the first-ever medal for Ukraine in a Senior World Championship. We were ecstatic and all our friends shared our delight. I had never seen Vika looking joyful. Now, at last, I did. Sport - in this case, taekwondo - truly has the power to realise dreams and to change lives.


Ukarine's Viktoriia Marchuk (left) has overcome real adversity in her short life, including being abandoned as a baby, to become a three-time world champion ©WTFUkarine's Viktoriia Marchuk (left) has overcome real adversity in her short life, including being abandoned as a baby, to become a world champion ©WTF


"Back home, the euphoria soon evaporated. In Ukraine, we were told that it was a 'random gold medal'. Moreover, the Ministry told us there were few athletes and few countries competing in Aruba. So no. There would be no prize money. No training grants. No financial support for the next world championships.


"We were unhappy, but got back into training. That is when even worse news hit us. Vika's shoulder was in pain. We found that her operation had been unsuccessful. Her condition deteriorated; she has cysts on her shoulder and is in constant pain. Ukrainian doctors are unable to help her.


"This is Vika's story, up to 2013. She is a fine student, a gifted athlete, a tribute to our sport. Life has not been kind to her. She deserves better... hence this story."

Sheila Radziewicz: "The Impossible Only Takes a Little Longer"

When Sheila Radziewicz was born without arms or kneecaps, doctors said it was doubtful whether she would live or not and she would certainly never walk. Now with an extraordinary amount of determination and courage, the 32-year-old American is not only walking, she's about to get her black belt in taekwondo.


Diagnosed at birth with thrombocytopenia-absent radius, known as TAR syndrome, the Massachusetts-born Radziewicz learned from an early age that she had to be independent if she was going to have the quality of life she craved.

Wearing thigh-high leg braces - similar to those worn by Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump - she got through school, left home at 19 and four years later got her driver's license in a specially built car that she drives with her feet.

"I grew up with the phrase, 'The impossible only takes a little longer,'" she told her local newspaper, Salem News.

Appropriately, that was the title of the book she released in November 2014.

"'The Impossible Only Takes a Little Longer: One Women's Story of Determination', is more than just a book," said the publishers in a press release. "It is a message about ability. It is one example about how living with a disability can be amazing despite society's challenges. One must purchase this book and experience her undaunted way of achieving so much despite the odds and obstacles society has put before her."

Sheila Radziewicz's book The Impossible Only Takes a Little Longer: One Woman’s Story of Determination details how she overcame the odds thanks, partly, to taekwondo ©Sheila RadziewiczSheila Radziewicz's book The Impossible Only Takes a Little Longer: One Woman’s Story of Determination details how she overcame the odds thanks, partly, to taekwondo
©Sheila Radziewicz

Having discovered taekwondo three years ago, Radziewicz said the sport has helped her deal with the daily stresses of life. "It's nice to have an outlet where you can just kind of empty your mind," she said, adding that the prospect of achieving the much coveted black belt status next month was "really exciting."

Working as a local advocate coordinator for Healing Abuse Working for Change, a charity that helps victims of domestic abuse, Radziewicz never misses training at Bruce McCorry's Martial Arts school. "She is a very motivating person for myself," said the owner, while her instructor Sandra LaRosa added: "She never feels sorry for herself."

It just goes to show that anyone can be happy, successful and lead a fulfilling life. Good luck to Sheila Radziewicz. We salute you.

For more information about Sheila Radziewicz click here. 

Sharon Akewi: A man who dreams of being as big as Lionel Messi

A Ghanaian athlete has an inspirational message for disabled people internationally.

"To all my disabled friends all over the world, taekwondo is beautiful, taekwondo is sweet," said Sharon Akewi, 30." If you are a disabled person like me, don't sit in your room, don't lock the door, come into taekwondo, you will have a great opportunity."


Akewi lost two fingers of his right hand at the age of 25, but that did not keep him from the sport he has loved since the age of 12.

"My master came to visit me in the hospital and motivated me to never give up, to keep practicing." After one year of rehabilitation, he did exactly that. "If you love it, no predicament is going to make you stop what you love to do," he added.

Now a taekwondo coach himself, Akewi has been helping friend John Bodu, 25. Bodu lost his right arm in an accident at age 14, but took up disabled football and cycling before being introduced to taekwondo by Akewi. The two attended their first Para-taekwondo Championships in Moscow 2014 and hope it will be the start of something special. 

"I know the sky will not be the limit," said Bodu, who has medaled for Ghana in other Para-sports. "I want to do the same for taekwondo, I want to be the world's best!"

They have their sights high, which they hope to win not just for Ghana, but for "Africa as a whole." They also have aspirational sporting benchmarks, which they hope will elevate their chosen game into the big leagues.

"Just like you have world-class players - [Lionel] Messi or [Cristiano] Ronaldo in football, Ghanaian Athlete Urges Disabled: [Manny] Pacquiao or [Floyd] Mayweather in boxing - we hope taekwondo is going to be lifted up to that level," said Akewi. "When you hear about world champions, you will hear about Sharon Akewi and John Bodu. You make the name, you make the fame, you make the money."

Ghanian Para-taekwondo player Sharon Akewi dreams of being his sport's version of Barcelona and Argentinian football superstar Lionel Messi ©Getty ImagesGhanian Para-taekwondo player Sharon Akewi dreams of being his sport's version of Barcelona and Argentinian football superstar Lionel Messi ©Getty Images

Even so, however hard they fight on the mats, the two know they face another struggle back home - the struggle against prejudice. "In Ghana, it is not easy to have this hand and say you want to train someone," said Akewi.

Bodu added: "In Ghana it is very hard to do disabled sports. They normally take care of able-bodied sports, but not disabled sports."

And they both note a lack of financial support - they are "financially disabled" as Akewi puts it - and suffer from a dearth of training equipment, such as uniforms and protective gear. Both made pleas for philanthropists to step in an assist the sport in their country and across the African continent. "Disabled sports is like able-bodied sports," said Bodu.

Lydia Masole Pitso and Phoofolo Mokhethi: Enthusiastic newcomers from Lesotho

Preparing to compete in a World Championship is intimidating for any athlete. But just imagine how more intimidating it must be if you have never travelled abroad before in your life - and if you only have three months training in the sport in question.

This is the challenge facing Lydia Masole Pitso, 18, and Phoofolo Mokhethi, 16, who both hail from the southern African country of Lesotho, when they took part in the 5th WTF World Para-Taekwondo Championships in Moscow in 2014. 


The two teenagers both suffer from dual upper limb disabilities, and both attend the country's Saint Angelo's School. It is there that they were scouted by coach John Moorasama Nkesi, who told them about what taekwondo means.

"I told them they should not be ashamed of themselves, that they are training to defend themselves, and that they should have a high standard of discipline," he said. "If you are equipped with this skill, you can beat all the challenges in the world."

The two were won over. "I was so happy to be involved in taekwondo, I did not think that one day I would be among it," said Mokhethi.

"It is so glamorous!" added Pitso, who also plays ladies' football. "It's the game I like the most."

The athletes, whose air tickets to Moscow were sponsored by the World Taekwondo Federation, were on their first trip abroad. 

In the future, Mokhethi hopes to become a taekwondo coach, while Pitso harbours ambitions of being a soldier. But first, they face a trial by fire: 

Yadav Kunwar: No mountain is too high for the man from Nepal

He had it all: A steady job, a life in a foreign country and a sporting hobby - taekwondo. Then it all fell apart.

"I injured my hand, I lost two fingers in an industrial accident," said Yadav Kunwar, 41, from Nepal, recalling the incident that changed his life while working in South Korea. "When I had that accident, I felt like I lost my life."


Kunwar, a 25-year taekwondo veteran who competed in the 5th WTF World Para-Taekwondo Championships in Moscow in 2014, recalls how devastating the blow was: For two years, nursing his mutilated hand, he did not practice.

Then - hope.

"I heard about Para-taekwondo," said the trim, tatooed athlete. "When I heard about it, I hoped for a new life in taekwondo."

Indeed, the kick-centric sport is particularly suited for those suffering from upper limb injuries. he said. "Taekwondo plays with the foot, and uses the hand to protect," he said. "I feel like I am not 100 per cent, but that is no problem."

His motivation reborn, Kunwar dived back into his beloved sport and grabbed a bronze in the sparring category at the 4th WTF World Para-Taekwondo Championships held in Lausanne in 2013. That result made him one of Nepal's highest profile sporting heroes.



Back home in Nepal, taekwondo is well developed. It is the nation's most popular sport, and Kunwar himself is widely featured in national media. Now he is giving back to the sport as a coach, teaching the disabled around the country. In doing so, he hopes that he will no longer be a force of one. "I am the only Nepalese athlete here," he said of the Nepalese contingent in Moscow. "Next time, there will be more."

Taekwondo, which requires neither equipment nor stadium, is well suited to Nepal, he believes. "For taekwondo you don't need a cricket pitch, you can play it in a small room," he said. "It is very easy to play."

Nepal's soaring landscapes might just be the perfect breeding ground for taekwondo athletes, Kunwar reckons. "We are lightweight, high-altitude people," he said; his countrymen's physical combination of agility and leg strength is appropriate for the kick-based combat sport.

He hopes that one day there may be an even bigger event for those who practice Para-taekwondo.  "I want to get gold at the Paralympics," he said."I want to be a medalist."

Nyshan Omirali: Former footballer reaches his goal in Moscow

Olof Hannson, the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF)'s coordinator for Para-taekwondo, was standing on the sidelines of the competition area of the 5th WTF World Para-Taekwondo Championships in Moscow in 2014 when he noticed one of the tournament's most favored fighters, Kazakhstan's Nyshan Omirali, talking animatedly on a mobile telephone.

"I felt joy, excitement and fulfillment," said the athlete. "The first person I contacted was my mother!"


The 22-year-old had every reason to feel on top of the world: He had just been crowned world champion in the K42, over 75 kilogram category after a series of tough fights, notably against opposition from Azerbaijan.

Omirali had previously played football, before being introduced to taekwondo by his coach, Almas Abdikairov. In the run-up to the World Championships, Omirali was put through a grueling work-up: cross-training, overall physical conditioning and match-specific training.

The preparation was particularly important for Omirali, as Moscow marked the first time he had stepped onto the mats of a World Championship. "It was my first experience at the top level," Omirali said.

The gold medal that Nyshan Omirali was so proud to win at the 5th WTF World Para-Taekwondo Championships in Moscow in 2014 ©Nyshan OmiraliThe gold medal that Nyshan Omirali was so proud to win at the 5th WTF World Para-Taekwondo Championships in Moscow in 2014 ©Nyshan Omirali

Once he landed in the Russian capital, Omirali would find that it was not just the intense physical preparation that would carry him toward gold. As the fraught action in the Dinamo Sports Palace got underway, he would be favoured by the rules. With head kicks disallowed for the safety of the Para-athletes, the WTF had put a premium on spinning kicks to the body, which scored three points, compared to one point for normal kicks. And Omirali's favorite technique is his scorching spinning back kick.

The back-kick is a standout technique of taekwondo. A crowd-pleasing move, delivered with a full body spin and often also a jump, it is used largely in counter attacks. Known in martial arts and combat sports circles as one of the most powerful blows the human body can deliver, it smashes into the opponent's body protector.

This, then, would be the move that Omirali unleashed time and again. "My favourite technique is the back kick," he recalled. "I am glad it worked for me."

With the action over, Omirali had done what he had set out to do. "My ultimate goal was only gold, and only first place!" he said.

Goal achieved.

Hiroki Sugita: Foot-focused fighting style appeals to Japanese martial arts fan

In the universe of martial arts and combat sports - from boxing to judo, from wrestling to capoeira, from fencing to kendo - one system stands out for its heavy kick quotient: taekwondo.

Although the sport's Korean name translates to "the way of foot and fist," it has always focused most heavily on leg techniques. While taekwondo cannot compete with boxing in terms of punching or fencing in terms of sword-fighting, when it comes to kicking, taekwondo reigns supreme.


This emphasis is what drew Japan's Hiroki Sugita, 28, to taekwondo after a devastating accident.

"When I was 20 years old, I had a car accident: I was sitting next to the driver, a friend of mine," he recalls. The car crashed, leaving him with a serious disability.

Japan boasts a wealth of domestic martial arts and combat sports, including judo, karate and kendo. But judo requires a strong hand grip and kendo needs two hands to hold the bamboo sword. For a young man with Sugita's disability, a striking style was most appropriate. The choice came down to karate or its close cousin, taekwondo.

"Karate is more forceful, taekwondo is more agile," he said. "And my left arm is very problematic, so I wanted to find a sport that uses only the legs."

In the run-up to the 5th WTF World Para-taekwondo Championships in Moscow, Sugita did physical and tactical training, but his core workouts were focused on taekwondo's signature footwork. "My main training has been stretching and the basic kicks," he said.

Given the disabilities affecting most of its contestants, Para-taekwondo permits punches to the body, but will not award points for them, further strengthening its kick-centricity.

This emphasis is in line with Para- taekwondo's current stage of development and the athletes it attracts, said a senior official with the sport's world governing body.



"It is important that we broaden our base, we have to be inclusive," said Jacobus Engelbrecht, who heads the World Taekwondo Federation's Para-Taekwondo Committee. "It is about making sure opportunities are created."

But, Engelbrecht claimed it is also important to focus on the sport's core strengths in the here and now. "Let us develop one area properly," he said. "At the moment it is mainly for upper body amputees and limb deficiencies."

In other words, Taekwondo's famed kicks are, right now, being as heavily emphasised in the Para-sport as they are in the regular sport.

This, however, is not to say that taekwondo is simply about fast and forceful kicking; like all sports, it is equally about fair and friendly competition.

Sugita is currently a rarity among Para-athletes in his country.  "In Japan, there are not that many Para-sparring athletes, though there are some Japanese Para-athletes who choose taekwondo for its foot-focused fighting style are some poomsae athletes," he said; "I want to exchange and meet and make friends. I want more interactions."

Haşim Celik: Inspired to take up taekwondo by an Olympic champion

Watching Haşim Celik fight, one is reminded of a comment by Russian Taekwondo Federation President Anatoly Terekhov: "You would not realise he is disabled."

In his K44 under 75 kg match against Boris Chepurenkov at the 5th WTF World Para-Taekwondo Championships in Moscow in 2014, the 23-year-old from Turkey adopted a wide stance, weight forward, stalking his opponent. Switching feet fluently, he controlled the distance, firing fluid round kicks off both forward and back legs, varied with a front pushing kick.


Although he was unable to fully deploy the point-winning jumping back spinning kick he had landed three times in his first match against Russian Makhdi Amarov - Chepurenkov jammed the kicks - Celik's rear-leg round kick, fired from the clinch-break, made an audible "thwack" as it knifed in under Chepurenkov's guard.

Final result: 5-1. That victory, following his earlier win, put Celik comfortably through to the quarter-finals.

Off the mats, Celik analyzed the match. "My coach ordered me to control the fight and to watch the opponent - to see his power, his speed, his empty spot," he explained. "After that, he ordered me to fire my techniques into the open spot. It got good results."

But things did not do either Celik or his coach's way in his semi-final match against Russia's Magomedzagir Isaldibirov.

Although Celik dropped his opponent twice, the hits were not registered on the PSS and the pacey Isaldibirov returned fire with a flurry of kicks, moving ahead in the scoring.

With the clock ticking, Celik unleashed a full arsenal of high-scoring techniques - jump spinning round kicks and jump spinning back kicks - keeping his opponent under pressure right up to the bell. But the final score was still 5-2 to the home-crowd favourite - who eventually took silver. That left Celik with a deserved bronze in one of the Championships' most competitive categories.

Turkey's Haşim Çelik was disappointed with his bronze medal at the 5th WTF World Para-Taekwondo Championships in Moscow but has vowed to bounce back stronger ©FacebookTurkey's Haşim Çelik was disappointed with his bronze medal at the 5th WTF World Para-Taekwondo Championships in Moscow but has vowed to bounce back stronger ©Facebook

Looking downcast in the stands after his loss, Celik managed to summon up a smile and a shrug for those giving their condolences. "Maybe next time," he said.

Soft spoken and with a thoughtful demeanor, Celik, who was born with missing fingers and toes, was always shy: "When I was a child, I was so embarrassed because of my disability."

His father forced him socialise with other children and registered him on a football team, but the young Celik used to hide his hands behind his back - which did little for his play. His father, seeing this, offered him a financial reward for every goal he scored. The tactic worked, and his football improved.

Celik, currently based in Germany, started taekwondo after watching one of the sport's superstars, Servet Tazegül, at the Bavarian Championships in 2006. "I saw Servet doing all these tremendous kicks, these fancy looking techniques, I asked him how he did them and he told me to come and learn too," Celik recalls. "So I did."

The two train in the same club and became very close - to the point where Celik was the witness at Tazegul's wedding. (Tazegul was on his honeymoon during the Championships in Moscow, but still messaged Celik to wish him luck. "Even on his honeymoon, Servet is thinking about taekwondo!" Celik said.)

Celik had a formidable talent for the sport. This, married with a daily, after-school training programme, won him silver at the European Championships in Bucharest in 2013 and a gold at the World Para-Taekwondo Championships in Lausanne in the same year, making him one of sport's top players.

"His big advantage is he can attack with both his front and his back leg and his distancing is very good," said Turkish Coach Yilmaz Polat. "And he always listens to my orders during matches."

Coaching may be one of the reasons for Celik's pre-match calm. While he admits that he is nervous before matches - he does deep breathing exercises on match-day mornings - he claims he does not focus on who his upcoming opponents are, letting his coach take care of that. During events, he manages stress by talking with his team mates about anything but taekwondo.

Haşim Çelik (left) was inspired to take up taekwondo after watching London 2012 Olympic gold medallist Servet Tazegül (right) in action ©FacebookHaşim Çelik (left) was inspired to take up taekwondo after watching London 2012 Olympic gold medallist Servet Tazegül (right) in action ©Facebook

Aside from taekwondo, Celik's goal is to finish university - he is a student at Germany's Friedrich Alexander University - and become a lawyer or a judge. But he also hopes his chosen sport will enter the Paralympics.

If it does, he could become a rich man.

"Olympic sports are very well supported by the Turkish Government," said fellow Turk and World Taekwondo Federation auditor Ali Sagirkaya, who estimates that Tazegül was awarded around $1 million for his Olympic gold medal at London 2012. But currently, taekwondo is not in the Paralympics, meaning that there is little cash available in the sport - even in a country as taekwondo-crazy as Turkey.

However, for Celik, none of this is important. "I don't do this for the money, I am in love with this sport," he said. "If I raise the Turkish flag over the arena, that is my reward; it is worth millions to me."

Lisa Gjessing: Once an elite performer, now a Para-taekwondo world champion

Lisa Gjessing lost an arm to cancer in 2012, but now reckons she is happier than she was prior to the amputation. How so? Well...being a World Para-taekwondo champion has something to do with it.

The 35-year old from Denmark boasts the svelte physique of an elite-level athlete and the sculpted Nordic facial features that modelling agencies would kill for. She is successful both professionally - she is a State prosecutor - and personally – she is married with two children, aged five and eight.


But cancer is no respecter of looks or position. In 2009, Gjessing was diagnosed with the disease.

"It was a big shock," she said. Gjessing underwent various treatments and in 2012, her lower left arm was amputated. The trauma forced some introspection, and she decided to return to an old love.

Before her illness, Gjessing had practiced taekwondo, competing at the 2001 and 2003 World Championships. But in 2004, she had given up the practice, partly due to family and educational commitments, and partly due to failing to qualify for the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Fast forward to 2012, and while she was in rehabilitation, she saw something that inspired.

"I saw the Paralympics in London a few months after my amputation, and I thought, 'How can I feel sorry for myself, when they can do all this?'" she recalled.

She contacted her former coach Bjarne Johansen. After an eight-year layoff, Gjessing got back into training. "Johansen had an elite taekwondo centre and his guys were on a high level," she said. "But I found I could still kick."

Just a month-and-a-half later, she entered the able-bodied Danish National Championships and won in her class. "That felt really good," she admitted, and started intensive training for the 2013 World Para-Taekwondo Championships in Lausanne.

There, she took home the gold. That win, plus her previous experience in able-bodied taekwondo, gives her a unique vantage point from which to judge the two formats.

Lisa Gjessing celebrates winning a gold medal at the 2013 World Para-Taekwondo Championships in Lausanne ©Risskov Taekwondo ClubLisa Gjessing celebrates winning a gold medal at the 2013 World Para-Taekwondo Championships in Lausanne ©Risskov Taekwondo Club

Para-taekwondo has removed the crowd-pleasing head kicks which tend to be lateral, this makes it more linear, with more back-and-forth movement, she said. She was also surprised that, at least in the women's categories, there was as wide a pool of opponents as in able-bodied. She will stick with the Para-format.

"From now on, I'm only doing Para- taekwondo, I am not going back to able-bodied," she said. "With work and kids, I don't want to fight with head contact."

At the 2014 World Championships in Moscow, having trained six days a week for months in the run-up she was in tigerish condition to defend her title.

Her first two matches were a cruise. Against relatively inexperienced opposition, she won 16-0 and 12-0; both fights were - prudently - stopped by the judges. The situation presented Gjessing with an issue. "I felt I should have been more gentle with them, I want them to be up and coming as I want more competitors," she said. "It is a dilemma."

There would be no such dilemma in the final. Facing Azerbaijan's Mammedova Aynur, she underwent a trial by fire, the toughest fight of her Para-taekwondo career.

Plunged into near-mortal combat, Gjessing was unable to crack Aynur's water-tight guard. "She was really good, she covered up and did her thing," said Gjessing, who, for the first two rounds, was behind on points. What she did not realise, as her opponent came out for the final round, was how exhausted she was. "I was really tired, and my concentration slipped," said Aynur. "The last 30 seconds decided the match."

Needing a high-risk, high-scoring technique, Gjessing unleashed a spinning back kick. It landed and put her ahead. When the smoke cleared, she was holding gold in the women's under 58 kilogram K44 class with a score of 5-3.

Aynur's dismay was evident when she stood on the silver rostrum: Tears streamed down her face. Yet the two are not to-the-death rivals. "We only fight on the mats; off them, we are good friends," said Aynur. 

Lisa Gjessing's success since turning to Para-taekwondo after losing her right arm to cancer in 2012 has attracted media interest in Denmark ©TV2OJLisa Gjessing's success since turning to Para-taekwondo after losing her right arm to cancer in 2012 has attracted media interest in Denmark ©TV2OJ

For Gjessing, though, family is the most important thing. 

"My family is very supportive, but I can't do this all year round," she said. "I have not followed the kids to school since May and I hardly pick them up, so now, I am ready for some family time."

In the aftermath of cancer, the combination of Para-taekwondo and victory has proven effective life therapy. "I love doing taekwondo, I love the sport, I love the kicking, I love the people," she said. "Doing something you like and winning a world championship fills a center in your brain. I think I am happier than before."

That is confirmed by her colleagues. "She is such a joy to be with," said Danish team head and President of the Danish Taekwondo Federation, Ejnar Skovgaard Mikkelson. "There is such a joy in her, and in this arena, too; you don't feel that so much in ordinary taekwondo."

Johansen puts it succinctly. Para-taekwondo, he says, is "gasoline for life".

And Gjessing plans to motor on. "I hope that this goes through to the Paralympics, that is the big dream," she said. "If it is in Tokyo in 2020, I can promise you: I'll be ready."

Viktoriia Marchuk: A Ukrainian national treasure

Ukraine's Viktoria Marchuk, in the red uniform, won her third consecutive World Para-Taekwondo Championships title at Moscow in 2014 ©WTF


It will be intimidating for any athlete to step onto the competition mats of the 5th WTF World Para-taekwondo Championships, but it might help if you have the sport's star athlete on your team. And well, it might just be a bit inspirational, too.

Viktoriia Marchuk, who was born with severely disabled arms, was abandoned as a baby and raised in an orphanage, suffering a hard life before being discovered by taekwondo coach Yuliya Volkova, who was born with severely disabled arms, was abandoned as a baby and raised in an orphanage, suffering a hard life before being discovered by taekwondo coach Yuliya Volkova. Marchuk, then 22-years-old and previously a track and field athlete, was raised to Championship level by Volkova's patient coaching.

In 2012 it all came together. Marchuk – better known simply as Vika - grabbed gold at the 3rd WTF World Para-taekwondo Championships in Santa Cruz, Aruba, that year. In 2013, she repeated the feat at the 4th Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Marchuk's story - a combination of tough life, fairy godmother coach and bravura performance in elite global competition - captured the hearts of the global taekwondo community. So, what was the legacy of those Championship wins?

"I think my success in the World Championships showed other people that regardless of whether you are healthy or have a disability, you can have success if you work hard," said Marchuk, who also received an apartment and a small stipend from a grateful Government.

For Moscow 2014, Ukraine fielded a five-strong team, and some of the athletes admitted that the smiling team-mate they train alongside is an inspiration.

"I am in training together with Vika - the same dojang, the same coach," said 15-year-old Oksana Hrankina. "I see how big and how strong her spirit is; it is a big motivation for me to get stronger to get the same success."

It is not just athletes who learned of Vika's story and took action.

"In our country, people with disabilities are not like others, they are second- class citizens," said Team Ukraine's male team coach Serhiy Brushnitskyy. "I was thinking of working with such people after Vika's success. People with disabilities are strong enough; I am proud to work with people with disabilities in the Ukraine."

And however serious social prejudices against the disabled may be in Ukraine, being a world-class Para-athlete has granted many a sense of self-worth and dignity.

"I know that some people in our country consider the disabled second- class citizens, but I don't think I am," said Mykola Nabyt, 31. "I try to do my best to reach my goal, to be successful, to lead a full life.I find that sometimes I do better than able-bodied people!"


Ukraine's Viktoria Marchuk pictured in action ©WTF
Ukraine's Viktoria Marchuk pictured in action ©WTF


The Ukrainians wre competing against a background of political turmoil roiling their country, but did not letting that adjust their focus on the competition.

"I think politics and sport must be kept differentiated," said Lyudmyla Lebyedyeva, 32, who stated how proud she is to represent her nation. "I hope to see the Ukrainian flag rise high as often as possible!"

To return to Marchuk: How had she been preparing to defend her title?

In the run up to Moscow, she has added a new kick to her arsenal, trained power and stamina with field and track work, and been strengthening her key weapons – her legs – with weight training. "I am nervous, but that is usual for every athlete," she said. "I am going to win; I am confident enough."

Underpinning her confidence was not just skill and experience, but the influence of the mentor who introduced her to taekwondo – Yuliya Volkova.

"I am so happy that Yuliya found me a couple of years ago," Marchuk said. "It is very hard to work with disabled people, so I am very appreciative that she believes in me."

Other members of the team shared Marchuk's affection for their coach.

"Yuliya is like a second mom to me," said Lebyedyeva. "She supports me all the time, in every way and at every moment."

Volkova's position as the founding mother of Para-taekwondo in Ukraine has now been set in concrete. Two days before the kick-off of the Moscow Championship, a Ukrainian Para-taekwondo association was established with Volkova as secretary general. Therefore, it seemed entirely appropriately that in the Russian capital she won her third consecutive Para-Taekwondo World Championship title. 

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