Taekwon-Do Winning Awards

Taekwon-Do New Zealand has been gaining more respect in the community in prestigious sports awards.

At the recent Papakura Sports Awards Melissa Bray (nee Timperley) won 2017 Sportswoman of the Year Award.

Bray has been representing New Zealand on the International stage for ITF Taekwondo-Do for 11 years.  Her achievements in 2016-17 year include the World Cup in Hungary where she won two bronze and a silver medal in 4th-6th Dan Pattern; being invited by Mighty Fist to compete at a tournament of elite athletes (USA, Ireland and NZ) to make up the Mighty Fist Team in Argentina,

Bray was also selected as part of the national team to compete at the World Champs in Ireland in October this year. Melissa is graded to 4th Dan Black Belt and has won many gold medals in national events.  

Also winning from Taekwon-Do was the Paul M Club which is based in Papakura. The club won the Archibald & Associates 2017 Papakura Club of the Year Award.

It has over 70 active members and caters for ages from 5 to over 65’s and continues to identify and nurture talented individuals for international competition.

The club had four members who all won medals at last year’s World Cup in Hungary.

They have six competitors who competed in the world champs in Ireland last month. Paul M has won the national Taekwon-Do title at the national champs for the past three years. In 2017 the club won a total of 18 gold, 19 siler and 18 bronze medals across all four disciplines and age groups.

The club has set the benchmark for Taekwon-Do and continues to grow and develop the sport in the region with great leadership from Paul McPhail and other Masters.