International Instructors

I started my Tae Kwon-do journey with a different association, beginning in my early teens when a friend of the family set up his own club and asked me to go along so that he had at least 1 person. Fortunately, I wasn’t his only member, the club still goes to this day, but I did instantly fall in love with this martial art.

Very quickly I was training all the hours available, and being the senior grade at my club I was permitted to travel to other clubs to get the higher level of tuition and training partners that I needed. I also discovered I was keen on competition; the training in preparation, pushing myself to be better and seeing the higher standards that could be achieved. Because of this I attended (and medalled in) several regional and national competitions throughout my time as a colour belt and as a black belt. My first competition as a black belt was a World Championships, when I had just transitioned from junior to adult status too – quite the eye-opener and very inspiring, I was just pleased to make it through a round or two before losing to one of the Welsh team members.

I trained with my original association for a long while, achieving black belt in 2007 and 2nd degree in 2009. Along the way though I had started training with the GTUK while at Loughborough University, under the fantastic instruction of Mr Andrew Holmes, and on occasion Mr Darren Holmes too. The knowledge as well as the physical skill was simply awesome and the both truly deserve the rank of Master that they hold today. After graduation I committed myself to the GTUK – and while it was hard to tell my original instructor that I was leaving – it is a decision I haven’t regretted.

I opened a GTUK club in Sutton Coldfield in 2014 and I find a great pride in being an instructor; watching the students grow in their own techniques and confidence. Some of my proudest moments in Tae Kwon-Do are not my individual medals earnt but watching my students advance and develop. They are all on their own journeys; some are champions now themselves which is amazing. However, some of the key moments for me as an instructor have been supporting students overcome barriers such as physical disabilities or serious lack of self-confidence.

I have been training with the GTUK England Team since my days at Loughborough University too, then committing to team training properly from 2014. I was named Ladies Team Captain in 2015 ahead of the UITF World Championships that same year where I won my first World Championship title. Since then, I have won many international and national titles in all disciplines (patterns, sparring, destruction and special techniques as well as team events). Furthermore, I am now part of the GTUK England coaching team, where we work tirelessly to promote the needs of our squad members. Most recently I organised the GTUK Summer Camp in 2025, which was the first of its kind and saw more than 60 members of the association train (and socialise) together in the Lake District.

Brief Grading Timeline

• 1st Degree: April 2007 (Via TAGB)

• 2nd Degree: October 2009 (Via TAGB)

• 3rd Degree: March 2015 (GTUK)

• 4th Degree: October 2018 (GTUK)

• 5th Degree: March 2023 (GTUK)

• 6th Degree: TBC