British Champion Taekwon-Do Star Raising Funds to Compete in World Championships

A Birkenhead Sixth Form College student and medal-winning, expert martial artist needs your help!

Aaron Bretland has a Taekwon-Do Commonwealth Games medal to his name among many others, and now he needs help to travel to Canada to compete in the Junior World Championships in just two weeks’ time.

Having recently claimed gold in the Senior British -63kg Taekwon-Do National Championships at the age of 17, Aaron is raising funds to join the British team in Vancouver for the Junior World Championships – the toughest global competition for his weight class – as he looks to establish a career in the sport that he has spent nearly all of his life dedicated to. With Olympic fever still felt across the country, there is every chance that Aaron, with continued support, could be on his way to Tokyo with Team GB in 2020.

Formerly a student at Ridgeway High School, Aaron’s previous ventures have been financed by sponsorship from the Wirral YMCA along with fundraising by his biggest fan, grandmother Dot, who has also raised Aaron along with his grandfather, but his late selection for the British team this time leaves Aaron and his nan short on time to raise the requisite funds.

Aaron, who studies English Language, Applied Science and Sport at the College, said: “I’m pretty excited about the opportunity but I’ve been picked quite late so I haven’t had a long time to raise funds. It’s for flights, accommodation and fees – I can’t actually get there and compete without paying for all of these things.”

Explaining how his nan and her friends have been doing bag-packing in local supermarkets in aid of his cause, Aaron said that local press have also been supporting his campaign, including the Wirral News and Radio Merseyside.

As to why people should donate to his funding efforts, Aaron says: “You’d be helping just a normal lad from around where you live, but who’s actually achieved something and is trying really hard to get even further.”

Aaron’s nan, Dot, described how the family feel and what previous sponsorship has done for Aaron to allow him to flourish in Taekwon-Do at the highest level.

Dot said: “We’re so proud of him. He trains every night and works really hard. He’s missed out on a lot of opportunities to be with his friends because he’s so dedicated to the sport, but then he’s been to countries that he’d never have had to the chance to go to otherwise, like Austria, Sweden, Poland and Germany. He’s been to four or five countries this year alone.

“He did so well in Poland in September, getting the silver at a G1 tournament, which is where all the top fighters from all over the world go to compete. He lost out to the current World Champion in the final but we were delighted with his silver medal, and it just shows how far he could go.”