Cumbria Taekwondo teenage girl completes black belt grading after just six years

A TEENAGE girl has gone from being a novice to a black belt in Taekwondo in the space of just six years.

Mya Lightley, 13, undertook her first Dan black belt exam under the guidance of her father Ryan Lightley at the World Taekwondo Association Dan Grading in Doncaster earlier this month.

Having done Taekwondo as a hobby since she was seven years old, Mya performed various blocks, stances and Poomsae’s in front of a panel of three highly regarded taekwondo practitioners to demonstrate her knowledge and understanding of the Martial Art.

She performed to a high standard to receive the highly regarded and recognised first Dan Kukkiwon.

Mr Lightley, lead coach and instructor at Summerlands Taekwondo in Kendal, simultaneously successfully undertook his fourth Dan promotion at the same time.

Commenting on his daughter’s achievement, he said: “She only became aware of the grading three weeks beforehand and had very limited time to prepare.

“She was offered the support and guidance of Grand Master James, who mentored me as a child and who has supported Mya throughout her Taekwondo journey,

“She has developed immensely over the year, not just in terms of taekwondo but as an individual. We’re all so proud of her.

“I attribute a significant part of that to the teachings and life lessons that Taekwondo embodies. I hope that she will continue to strive towards all her goals with the same passion and determination that she has shown throughout her taekwondo career.”

In 2022, Mya became a British National Champion at the British Kyorugi National Championships in Sheffield.

From last year she has been competing abroad and is due to fight once again in Belgium in the New Year.

“It’s too early to say whether she’ll be able to make a career out of it,” Mr Lightley added.

“Taekwondo is such a competitive sport. It’s just more of a hobby for her at the moment, but if we can get her winning in Europe, that would be the next step.”

Mya joins her father and teammate Harry Westmorland to become the Taekwondo club’s third black belt out of a team of around 20.

Summerlands Taekwondo, located at The Salvation Army, currently have spaces.

If you’re interested, call 07963 414597 for more information.