YOUNGSTERS have celebrated great success despite the lockdown challenges.

Tae Kwon Do clubs from all over North Wales have continued to take part in their sessions throughout the pandemic via ZOOM, getting creative in their living rooms, bedrooms and gardens.

When the lockdown was eased in august of last year, classes resumed face to face but soon found themselves back behind a screen in December when Wales was plunged back into another lockdown.

During this time Tae Kwon Do Association of Great Britain (TAGB) have still managed to stage online competitions for all students throughout the UK.

The TAGB has over 20,000 members nationwide and is the biggest martial arts association in Europe.

With students taking part from clubs in Flintshire, Wrexham, Prestatyn, Ellesmere, Bangor and Denbigh, great success was achieved with the new Welsh and British Championships.

First of all, students had to complete in the welsh qualifiers and if placed first, second or third, the winners went on to represent Wales in the British finals.

The North Wales clubs had 23 students qualify for the British finals and all performed ‘magnificently’.

Gareth Pritchard runs a Taekwondo Academy in Prestatyn which is part of the Taekwondo Association of Great Britain along with other instructors who teach in Flintshire and Wrexham.

He said: “Our British championships medal winners were Kamila Orlowska from Wrexham (Gold), Lewis Byles from Flint (Gold), Layla Young from Prestatyn (Silver), Ian Jones from Denbighshire (Gold), and Mark Butler from Kinmel Bay (Bronze).

“All the instructor are very proud of how well the students have maintained their training and are looing forward to when restrictions end and we can get back to full time face to face classes again

“Anyone that would like to join in as new beginners when classes fully open again we will be offering free trial classes for everyone.

“All instructors are DBS passed, insured and fully trained by the British Taekwondo Council.

“Contact us via www.walestagb.co.uk.”

TAGB said on their website: "After the Wales Patterns Championships the students that placed in the top 3 places qualified to the T.A.G.B. National Finals.

"Congratulations to all participants we went through to the finals. There were 1600 participants over 10 regional areas of the UK. In the finals there were over 760 students competing to be a national champion.

"Once again all students performed magnificently and were a credit to their clubs and instructors.

"A huge thank you to all parents and instructors for all your hard work."