For Mr Bryan Lim, taking part in taekwondo competitions would help him build self-confidence and showcase the various skills he has learnt.
Bryan, who competed under P10 for visual impairment at STF’s first Para Taekwondo Poomsae Championship, admitted that he was “really nervous at the start”, though having his teachers, Mr Kumaran and Ms Eve, around gave him the confidence and support to do his best.
“Mr Kumaran always says that results don’t matter – what matters the most is our effort to give our best,” he said.
His coaches, Coach Greg and Coach Heng, worked closely with the students of Lighthouse School to prepare them for the competition and ensure that they would be able to execute techniques correctly.
Mr Kumaran and Ms Eve also recorded videos of Bryan and shared it with his parents so that he could train independently on his own. Lighthouse School even provided a platform for him to practice more during his free period in school.
The competition – also Bryan’s first – now serves as the most memorable moment he has had in taekwondo so far.
But self-confidence was not the only thing taekwondo has taught Bryan – he also learnt about discipline and how he could apply it at home and in his schoolwork.
Empathy is another.
“Being in the taekwondo CCA also allows me to work with my fellow Lighthouse School peers with hearing loss and allow me to understand them better,” he enthused.
The STF Para-Taekwondo Sub-committee led by Chairman Mr Michael Ho would also like to thank the participants and their parents, officials, volunteers and sponsors who have contributed generously to make this event possible