Teenager inspired by Karate Kid raising funds to compete at World Para Taekwondo Championships

A 19-year-old taekwondo blackbelt is raising vital funds needed to get him to his World Para Taekwondo Championships next month.

Bradley Brockies, who lives near Bromley Common in Bromley, has four gold medals under his belt for taekwondo, including a blackbelt and is preparing to compete at the World Para Taekwondo Championships in Veracruz, Mexico in September.

Taekwondo is a Korean martial art involving head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, and fast kicking techniques.

Mr Brockies is autistic, he started Taekwondo in 2013 and is a fully classified para athlete.

British Taekwondo have announced there is no funding for this World Championship so the athletes have to self-fund. 

He said: “With my disability I can’t travel to Mexico on my own and need a chaperone to accompany me, who I will also have to fund.”

Mr Brockies was selected to join the British Taekwondo Para squad in 2015 and took the world of Taekwondo by storm.

He has held the British National Championship title in his category since April 2015, last competing for the title in November 2022.

Mr Brockies said: “I got into Taekwondo after I watched Karate Kid when I was eight.

“I liked the look of it and one of my friends was already taking lessons so I wanted to have a go.”

Mr Brockies said his autism makes him nervous and anxious, especially around big groups of people.

He said: “When I first started I didn’t want to compete, I just wanted to do the lessons. 

“But after my first competition I loved it and now I enjoy the competitiveness.”

Mr Brockies said competing alongside other athletes with autism has helped him and makes him “feel good.”

Now, he is preparing to defend another world title after being selected once again to represent Great Britain in the upcoming  World Para Taekwondo Championships.

He said: “I’m a bit nervous because this is my first time in the upper age group, but I’m really looking forward to it.

“This is a great opportunity to show the World what Great Britain para taekwondo athletes can do as well as having the opportunity of defending my title.”

To donate to Mr Brockies GoFundMe visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/defend-my-taekwondo-world-championship-title-2023

Pictured top: Bradley Brockies with his gold medals at two World Championships (Picture: Bradley Brockies)