A young girl from Darlington has fought her way to becoming Junior World Bronze Medallist in Taekwondo, representing Great Britain while competing in Bulgaria earlier this month.
Morgan Curtis, 17, made her family proud when she competed against other young women from around the world.
On August 7, Morgan won against three other young women, from China, Spain and Iran, however, was unfortunately defeated when competing against a girl from Korea.
Morgan’s parents were on the edge of their seats while watching their daughter compete.
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Melissa Curtis, Morgan’s mother, said: “It was hard for me watching to be honest, I was so nervous for her that I couldn’t eat or drink beforehand and I kept fidgeting!”
Morgan was slightly hesitant at first due to nerves but when she won her first fight against a girl representing China, her parents breathed a sigh of relief.
With each fight, Morgan gained confidence and strength and went on to win against two other girls, one from Iran and the other, Spain.
Melissa said: “She wants a gold by the end of the year. She’s really going for it. Although she was a bit disappointed that she didn’t get the gold in Bulgaria, on reflection she’s happy with how she did.”
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Morgan’s passion for Taekwondo has meant she has had to adapt to a gruelling schedule with not much downtime, but she is enjoying her journey to success.
Morgan returned to Manchester after Bulgaria where she is currently training with World Class GB Taekwondo Team at the National Taekwondo Centre.
The next day she set off for Croatia for a two-week intensive training camp with Croatia’s national team.
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Melissa said: “She loves it that much and gets that much joy from it that she doesn’t see it as exhausting.
“She’s desperate to make the big time and as long as she stays focused and got her eye on the next competition, and keeps going the way she is, she’ll get there.”
The teenager showed a keen interest in the sport from the age of four at Koryo Quakers in Darlington, and started competing at the age of five. She has since then been putting Darlington on the map for Taekwondo success.
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