Taekwondo: Special scholarship for athletes

Taekwondo instructor Ben Evans, rear, with his four recipients of Rob Guildford Memorial Trust Scholarships from left Johann Landkroon, Tupuna Rangi, Aidan Pellett and Nesta Rei. Photo / Warren Buckland

The passion was extremely evident and so was the commitment from four world championship-bound Hawke's Bay special needs taekwondo exponents.

But it was the smiles from Johann Landkroon, Aidan Pellett, Nesta Rei and Tupuna Rangi which would have scored them the most points last night.

They became recipients of Rob Guildford Memorial Trust scholarships. The scholarships are presented in memory of Rob Guildford, the father of Hawke's Bay Magpies utility back and former All Black Zac Guildford.

In 2009 Guildford snr died of a heart attack shortly after watching his son score two tries as New Zealand beat England 44-28 in the final of the Under-20 World Cup in Tokyo.

His wife, Deb, and brother Daren Guildford presented each member of the quartet with a $400 cheque, a bag full of sports goods from Rebel and a framed scholarship certificate after their training session with Hawke's Bay's International Taekwondo Federation's Regional Director Ben Evans at Mangateretere School.

The Bay quartet will be four of six exponents Evans takes to the July world championships in Brighton.

It will be the first time a special needs division is contested at the champs.

Hastings' Landkroon, 23, has Down Syndrome. Earlier this month he earned his black belt after eight years of studying the martial art and training three times each week.

"I went to the 2011 world championships in North Korea to give a special needs demonstration. In England it will be full on and I'm going for gold," Landkroon said.

Napier's Pellett, 21, like Rei and Rangi, hopes to earn black belt status in March. He has studied taekwondo for two-and-a-half years.

"My main aim in England is to get more power with my technique. If I medal that will be a bonus," Pellett said.

Taradale High School year 11 student Rei, 16, has been one of Evans students for 11 years.

"Because this is my first world champs I really want to get my patterns right. I like being part of this group ... it's such a good environment," Rei said.

Like Pellett, Rangi, 20 of Fairhaven School has autism.

He has completed his third year with Evans and family members pointed out taekwondo has improved his focus big time.

It's not uncommon for him to train four times each week.

"I want to win heaps of medals in England and I want to be a third dan black belt holder," Rangi said.

Fourth dan instructor Evans sowed the seeds for special needs taekwondo in 2006.

In addition to New Zealand, there are branches in England, Greece, the Netherlands, Canada and the United States.

Irongate School will host the Hawke's Bay Taekwondo Champs on November 7.

At the championships there will be special needs and mainstream divisions.

This is the fourth year Rob Guildford Memorial Trust scholarships have been presented in the Bay.

Recipients are recognised for their ability to push on from provincial to national level.

Previous recipients have included Junior White Sox softballer Emma Houkamau and national netball representatives Kelsey McPhee and Kimora Poi.