Imagine competing in martial arts against the best in the world. Now imagine competing against them with vision impairment and numbness in both arms and legs.
Well that is the scenario that Pan Pacific Masters Games taekwondo competitor Janine Watson from the Gold Coast faced recently at the Korea Open International Championships.
The 31-year-old from Currumbin was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) five years ago and took up taekwondo shortly after.
Now she is a 1st Dan Black Belt and this weekend a multiple gold medal winner at the Pan Pacific Masters Games taekwondo competition in traditional and creative patterns.
Watson has been the Australian champion in the taekwondo events of poomsae (patterns) or sparring for the past four years in open competition, and has made the Australian team twice this year.
Last week Watson represented Australia in Korea, the country where taekwondo originated, and excelled to win silver and bronze medals in one of the most prestigious taekwondo championships in the world.
In what was dubbed the ‘champion of champions’ round at these championships, Watson won bronze with the gold and silver medals going to previous Olympic and world champions.
So how does Watson do it with the impact that MS has on her body?
“I have no feeling in my legs from the knees down and in my arms from the elbows down,” said Watson.
“I also lose my sight when I spar. When I heat up in stressful situations like sparring, I get swelling around the nerves which control my vision and they stop working.
“When I spar blind, I rely on instructions from my coach (Ameet Jamble) so we have to and do have a great relationship.”
With options limited for Watson to compete against other AWD athletes in taekwondo, she takes it up to the best able-bodied participants including Olympic and World champions.
Watson currently trains with the club Russell Macarthur Taekwondo in Brisbane and receives great support from Taekwondo Australia and Taekwondo Queensland.
“I took up taekwondo not long after when doctors told me I would not play sport again.
“I used to play soccer and actually participated in the Pan Pacific Masters Games four years ago in soccer and won a bronze.”
The new system was born here and filagra this is not something that we would like to see. Caverta although better in some elements but not significant for us.
