Taekwondo : Charlene Mongelard

Charlene Mongelard, who is well-known in the Taekwondo community in the UK, has won so many championships and competitions that her room at home is packed with trophies, shields and medals. Charlene started practising Taekwondo as soon as she was able to walk; her father, who was also her coach, trained her from a very young age. Charlene reached the level of 1^st Dan Black Belt while still a junior – quite an achievement. As soon as she reached the accepted age to take part in competitions, her dedication and exceptional talent quickly became apparent, and she was soon travelling all over Europe to compete in different championships. She won golds in Stuttgart, Dublin, Austria and Spain amongst other awards. She also competed and won medals in Korea and the USA.

Taekwondo has been an Olympic demonstration sport since 1988. It became a full medal – full program – Olympic sport at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000. Charlene was preparing for the forthcoming fourth Taekwondo Olympic events to be held in London. However, due to an unfortunate accident, Charlene has recently had to give up on fulfilling her long-awaited ambition – to take part in the London 2012 Olympic Games and will no longer be able to participate in any competition or championship. The accident, which happened over a year ago, owing to the recklessness of a careless driver, badly injured her right ankle. Nevertheless, Charlene has made a new career for herself, training young athletes at different schools in London, equipping them with the necessary techniques and skills to succeed in this sport. Charlene says she could not have found a much more fulfilling occupation. We wish her all the best for the future.

© Chris Cuniah