East Kilbride taekwondo ace goes for fourth Para gold in a row at British Championships

dailyrecord.co.uk:

An East Kilbride takewondo athlete is aiming to win gold at the British Para Championship for the fourth consecutive year this week.Wheelchair competitor Nicola Russell is deaf, autistic and has dystonia – a movement disorder that causes the muscles to contract involuntarily – but she has overcome this to be crowned the best of British for the last three years.Now, she will head to Worcester this Saturday and Sunday hoping she can experience that winning feeling again.Nicola, a 2nd Dan Black belt, will compete in Poomsae in P50 classification and the Team GB athletes has praised her club in East Kilbride, Elite Martial Arts, for helping her reach her potential.She said: “I have dystonia, which developed out of nowhere about nine years ago.

This is why I am unable to walk and use the wheelchair full time.“I thought my taekwondo days were behind me when I became a wheelchair user, so to be able to train and compete at local and high levels is amazing.“It has been a really hard journey trying to relearn my Taekwondo from the wheelchair and also trying to accept my limits.“I started Taekwondo before I became physically disabled and earnt my black belt.“After a break, I found a club willing to let me train as a wheelchair user and passed my 2nd Dan in 2021.

I needed to relearn and adapt alot of my taekwondo for the wheelchair. It has been a challenge but worth it.“I am grateful to Elite Martial Arts for their constant support and that they saw past the wheelchair and, instead, just see me.

They’ve helped me to become the best I can.“I believe martial arts should be accessible to all and that Para athletes can get so much from learning and participating.