Adam aged 11 from Sutton Poyntz has achieved his Black Belt in Taekwondo, which, is no mean feat especially as he is living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and is predominately in a wheel chair.
Proud parents Mary & Malcolm believe that he may be the only person in the country to have achieved this. Taekwondo is not an easy sport as it involves both mental and physical aspects to each pattern. For Adam’s Black Belt he had to pass a number of elements. These included a fitness test that involved him swimming 250 metres, sparring for approximately an hour and walking and punching in specially made leg braces called KAFOs, as well as having to remember a number of patterns.
Adam, who started Taekwondo when he was six years old, has worked his way through each of the belts, despite his condition deteriorating. Adam regularly attends Dorset Marital Arts club with a smile on his face.
The family have been very lucky to find Dorset Martial Arts “they have been so accommodating with Adam and his condition and we would like to thank Roxy, Sarah and Jodi for all their hard work in helping Adam to achieve his black belt.
One of the reasons that Adam took up taekwondo was that we attend a presentation by a Great Ormond Street Children’s Physiotherapist who talked about taekwondo and the benefits this has as an integrated part of a Physio programme for boys who live with Duchenne.
As Adam’s condition gets worse, it is important to keep him active both physically and mentally. Not only does he do taekwondo he also attends Weymouth South Scouts (which have been great and fully inclusive), plays power chair football for Wessex Warriors and does the Junior Park Run on a Sunday Morning. Despite his disability he lives life to the full!!!”
To coin a phrase from his favourite football club AFC Bournemouth ‘Together anything is possible’
