Hastings taekwondo coach Camille Pruckmuller selected for national para-taekwondo role

Aaria Franklin, 5, of Hastings, was the youngest member of the Koryo Taekwondo team who travelled to the Gold Coast Open. She won two silvers for sparring and a gold for poomsae (patterns). Photo / Paul Taylor

Fresh from gold medal success for her team across the ditch, local taekwondo coach Camille Pruckmuller has been selected for a national para-taekwondo development role.

Koryo Taekwondo’s Hastings-based team of 16 took an impressive 41-medal haul between them at the Gold Coast Open this month — 15 gold, 15 silver and 11 bronze.

Five students in the para-athlete categories each took home gold medals.

It was the first time the team had travelled to the competition since 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic, and the result placed them third out of the 86 attending clubs.

Pruckmuller was recognised as the most outstanding coach at the event and had recently been selected as Taekwondo NZ’s (TNZ) para-taekwondo development officer.

“I’m in charge of growth and resources for everyone with disabilities in World Taekwondo [in New Zealand],” she said.

“Around the world there are para-competitions all over the place, especially in Europe, they are really busy.”

World Taekwondo is part of both the Olympics and Paralympics, although New Zealand was not fielding a para-taekwondo team at this year’s Paralympic Games.

Pruckmuller said she was working with Sport NZ on better pathways for para-athletes within the sport and was exploring accessibility options to implement within her dojang (training hall) and elsewhere.

“Say, for instance, if a student with a visual disability comes into my dojang, are they going to trip, are they going to walk into something sharp?” she said.

“It’s health and safety, but taken to the next level.”

She was waiting to hear back from TNZ for her next steps, but was looking forward to the challenge.

James Pocock joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2021, and writes breaking news and features with a focus on the environment, local government and post-cyclone issues in the region. He has a keen interest in finding the bigger picture in research and making it more accessible to audiences. He lives in Napier. james.pocock@nzme.co.nz