MY TAEKWON-DO JOURNEY
Starting again doesn't mean starting from nothing!
My last opportunity to train officially was eight years ago, and my last club training was five years ago — but Taekwon-Do never completely left my life. Whenever my health allowed, I continued training at home between setbacks, surgeries and recoveries.
Now I'm beginning a new chapter: rebuilding my strength, mobility, technique and confidence from where I am today, while working towards a goal I've never let go of — earning my black belt.
PERSEVERANCE • ADAPTATION • INCLUSION • COMMUNITY​
The Pathway Changed. But I Didn't.
THE PATHWAY CHANGED
8 Years Ago!
My last opportunity to train "officially!"
5 Years Ago!
My last "official" club training!
But I Never Stopped
What those two photos don't show are the years in between and since. Taekwon-Do never disappeared from my life. Whenever my health allowed, I continued training at home — adapting around surgeries, recoveries, setbacks and what my body could manage at the time.
My training hasn't always been consistent or conventional, but neither has my journey. One thing that has remained constant is my perseverance and my goal of earning my black belt.
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The pathway changed. The goal didn't.
Taekwon-Do Never Left Me
TRAINING THROUGH THE GAPS
Life and health haven't always allowed me to train the way I wanted to, but I've never completely stopped.
Between surgeries, recoveries, setbacks and the times when my body simply needed rest, I continued to train at home whenever I could. Sometimes that meant practising techniques. Sometimes it meant rebuilding strength, mobility or confidence. And sometimes perseverance meant accepting that I needed to recover before I could continue.
My journey hasn't followed a straight line — but I've always kept moving towards the same goal.
My black belt.
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​PERSEVERANCE
Not perfection. Not an uninterrupted journey. Just refusing to give up on something that still matters to me.
A New Opportunity
2026 - BACK TO OFFICIAL TRAINING
After years without the opportunity to train officially, 2026 has opened a new door for me.
I'm not returning to TaeKwon-Do — because I never truly left it. I'm returning to an official training pathway, with the opportunity to develop, progress and work towards the goal I've held onto throughout every interruption.
I'm starting from where I am today. Rebuilding my strength, mobility, flexibility and technique. Adapting where I need to. Being patient when I need to. And continuing to move forward.
The goal remains the same — earning my black belt.
THE PATHWAY CHANGED. THE GOAL DIDN'T.
Rebuilding From Where I Am Today
FOUNDATIONS - NOT FAILURE
I'm not measuring myself against the martial artist I was years ago. I'm looking honestly at where I am today and building from there.
My current focus is on rebuilding the foundations — mobility, flexibility, strength, balance, coordination and TaeKwon-Do technique. That includes going back over my punches, blocks, kicks and movements and identifying what needs work.
Some things will return quickly. Others will take time. Some may need to be adapted along the way.
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None of that changes the goal.
MOBILITY • FLEXIBILITY • STRENGTH • BALANCE • TECHNIQUE • CONFIDENCE
This isn't about proving where I used to be. It's about showing where I'm starting — and what perseverance can build from here.
THE GOAL
Black Belt
My goal of earning my black belt has never disappeared.
I don't know exactly what the pathway from here will look like. I may need to rebuild skills I once had, revisit earlier levels, adapt parts of my training or take longer than I once imagined.
That's OK.
For me, earning a black belt isn't about how quickly I get there. It's about earning it properly, continuing to learn and refusing to give up on a goal that has stayed with me through every interruption.
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However long it takes, I'll keep working towards it.
Perseverance is one of the five tenets of TaeKwon-Do. For me, it isn't simply something written on a wall or recited in class. It's something I've had to live.
THE PATHWAY CHANGED. THE GOAL DIDN'T.
WHY INCLUSION MATTERS
A Different Path Doesn't Mean You Don't Belong
My own journey has taught me that not everyone gets to follow the same pathway in TaeKwon-Do.
Health, disability, mobility, fitness, age, confidence or simply life circumstances can change how someone trains, how quickly they progress or what they are physically able to do at a particular time.
But different doesn't mean less.
I believe TaeKwon-Do can remain true to its traditions, values and standards while recognising that people may need different starting points, adaptations and timelines.
Instead of asking “Why can't this person do TaeKwon-Do the conventional way?”, I believe we should be asking:
“How can we help this person do TaeKwon-Do in a way that works for them?”
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Because sometimes all someone needs is the opportunity to participate, progress and belong.
PERSEVERANCE • ADAPTATION • INCLUSION • COMMUNITY
FROM MY JOURNEY TO SOMETHING BIGGER
Cassowary Coast Inclusive TaeKwon-Do
Cassowary Coast Inclusive TaeKwon-Do grew from my own experiences and a simple belief: people shouldn't feel that TaeKwon-Do isn't for them simply because their journey looks different.
I want to build a community where traditional ITF TaeKwon-Do remains at the heart of what we do, while recognising that people can have different abilities, starting points, challenges and pathways.
Inclusion doesn't mean removing standards or taking away what makes TaeKwon-Do TaeKwon-Do. It means finding ways for people to participate, learn, develop and progress while respecting what they are capable of and helping them build from there.
Whether someone is living with chronic illness or disability, rebuilding their fitness, returning after years away, beginning later in life, experiencing mobility limitations, or simply lacking the confidence to walk into a traditional martial arts environment — I want them to know there can be a place for them.
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Not everyone needs the same pathway to belong to the same community.
A community built around perseverance, adaptation, inclusion and community — where people are encouraged to discover what they can do and given the opportunity to keep progressing.
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PROUD TO TRAIN WITH MORGAN AUSTRALIA
My Gear. My Journey. My Goal.
As I rebuild my TaeKwon-Do foundations and continue working towards my black belt, I'm proud to be training with Morgan Australia equipment.
Quality gear is part of the journey — supporting my training today and the bigger vision I'm working towards with Cassowary Coast Inclusive TaeKwon-Do.
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Powered by passion. Training with Morgan Australia.
THE JOURNEY CONTINUES
Follow My Journey
This journey is still being written.
Follow along as I rebuild my TaeKwon-Do foundations, continue my official training, work towards my black belt and develop the vision behind Cassowary Coast Inclusive TaeKwon-Do.
There will be progress, setbacks, adaptations and plenty more to learn — but one thing will remain constant:
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Perseverance.
