Young Mount Taekwondo athletes from Fleetwood test themselves at Barnsley tournament
“We are very proud of them both”
Two young athletes from Fleetwood joined forces with Sheffield’s Quest Taekwondo team to compete at a tournament at Barnsley Metrodome on Sunday (June 7).
Jake Lightfoot and Isaac Blundell, from Mount Taekwondo Academy, joined the Quest team to test their skills on the British Taekwondo circuit.
Quest Taekwondo, run by Michael McKenzie, has played a vital part in the development of Taekwondo stars such as Caden Cunningham, who recently won gold at the European Championships.
The event, hosted by Ultimate Taekwondo, pitched fighters from across the country against one another in sparring matches, giving the Mount students the opportunity to take to the mats and begin their journey on the same circuit that has helped launch the careers of some of the sport’s biggest stars.
Isaac, 10, took a hard-fought runner-up spot, while Jake, 12, comfortably defeated his opponent over two rounds.
Chief instructor at Mount Taekwondo Academy, Tracey Ainscough, said: “Experiencing the same pathway as other elite fighters is a fantastic opportunity for a grassroots club like ours and for our students.
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“Both Isaac and Jake showed their class on the mat against competitors from other British Taekwondo clubs and we are very proud of them both.
“After a number of years competing locally, nationally and internationally, this is another leap forward for our small club.
“We can’t thank Quest enough for the support they have shown us and our team in recent years.”
Prior to this latest competition, Mount Taekwondo Academy hosted Olympic, World and European medallist Lauren Williams at its Dock Street premises for a two-hour training seminar, helping to prepare students for competitions such as these.