College Teacher & Taekwon-Do Instructor Takes Home World Championship Gold

Science teacher and the College’s resident Taekwon-Do instructor, Helen Bennett, has claimed her second gold medal at the Veteran World Championships for the martial art in Italy.

Despite suffering a major knee injury just over a year ago, Helen recovered to claim a gold medal in patterns and a bronze in sparring at the bi-annual International Taekwon-Do Federation event in Andria, Italy.

Although Helen, who instructs Taekwon-Do at Birkenhead Sixth Form College as part of our Enrichment programme, didn’t  manage to defend her title as World Champion in the sparring (click for GIF of Helen in action) from two years earlier, she stepped up her patterns performance to go from silver to gold, and was also honoured with an unexpected ‘Female Veteran Technical Award’ trophy.

Just shortly after her victorious 2014 Championships, Helen snapped the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her knee, requiring major reconstructive surgery and a recovery prognosis of around a year.

Representing England at the Championships, Helen said: “I has surgery 14 months ago and I worked really hard on rehab, making the most of the excellent gym and fitness facilities at the College along the way. Johanne Male, the College’s Well-Being Coach and Learning Support Assistant, was great with motivational help and I was back in training with the national squad just seven months later.”

Helen continued: “I was delighted to be selected again and hoped to do well despite the break in my training. I was unsuccessful in defending my world title in sparring but was very happy with the bronze, and with the gold in patterns.

"It's an amazing feeling standing up on the first place podium at the World Championships with the whole stadium standing as they play ‘Land of Hope & Glory’ just for you!"

Taekwon-Do is one of a multitude of Enrichment activities available at the College, and we’re very fortunate to have such a well-qualified instructor in Helen, with medals to prove it.