Taekwondo in the Paralympics?

Written by Tinker Simmons - Original Post Date Dec. 2, 2008
If it were up to Ben Schwenk it would be. Like millions of other people, Ben trains in the sport of Taekwondo. Unlike the majority of other Taekwondo practitioners, Ben only has one leg. He had cancer (osteosarcoma) in his leg during his senior year of high school. Through the process, there were many attempts to keep the leg, but eventually staph infection caused the need to amputate. He has been an amputee for 18 years. He started doing Taekwondo just over a year ago and as a purple belt, will enter his first competition at the Olympic Training Center here in Colorado Springs.

Ben is taking it all in stride, he says "Being that this is my first competition, I want to do my best representing people with disabilities in Taekwondo. At this time, the Paralympics haven't added TKD to their programs. As far as Master Kunkel has informed me, I'm the first. Hopefully, this will open the door to the Games for disabled people in TKD." Olympian Barb Kunkel, head instructor at the Academy of Life and Leadership Taekwondo, has been working very closely with Ben in his training.

Ben has a prosthetic leg that he uses to get around and practice Taekwondo. Mandy Myers is his prosthetist, who has worked endlessly to make it possible for him to participate in TKD. She has come to practices to watch what is required for the mechanics of his knee and foot to work successfully with TKD.

Ben is not alone in his journey; he gets lots of encouragement from his prosthetist, Mandy Myers, Coach Kunkel, his family and friends, many of which will be at the tournament to cheer him on. The tournament is open to the public this Saturday, December 6th at the Olympic Training Center, so feel free to come out and support him.

Learn more:
What: The Rocky Mountain Open
Hosted by USA Taekwondo
Where: US Olympic Training Center
One Olympic Plaza , Colo. Springs
(next to Memorial Hospital)
email: familytaekwondo@aol.com
Call: 719-260-4700


http://family-taekwondo.com/
http://www.alltkd.com/