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By bKevin Redsull
CASTLE Community College student Rhianne O'Neill is a martial arts Junior World Champion.
The 16-year-old from Freeman's Way returned from the International Tae kwon do Federation (ITF) world championships in Quebec in June having won a gold medal with the three-strong England junior (under-18) girls' team in the power test competition.
And it followed her success in the European Championships in Slovakia in April where she also won gold and bronze medals.
Tae kwon do is a martial art combat sport which originated in Korea. Each fight consists of two,
two minute-rounds and Rhianne had to win seven bouts en route to her gold medal in Quebec.
She first took up the sport for a year or so when she nine, and then returned to it when she was 14 and hasn't looked back since.
Rhianne is a member of the TKP Power organisation, which has branches throughout the UK. She trains with the Deal and Sandwich branch,
and said: "You have to be very fit to do tae kwon do. I train five days a week, including three hours on Sundays at Redhill with the England squad."
She has dedicated her world gold medal to her long-term instructor, Andrew Maudlin, from Ash, who died in May.
Rhianne, who fights in the heavyweight (+60kilos) category, will not be able to defend her world title at the next championships in Argentina in two years' time
because she will be too old by then to fight as a junior.
But she will be able to defend her European junior title next year, and is already looking forward to competing for her first senior gold in Argentina,
helped by her sponsor, Paul Harper, of Walmer motoring company Travel Spot,
which provides independent advice and motoring services for the UK motorist driving to the Continent.
Her Long Term Aim is too repesent Great Britian In 2012 Olympics we wish her well from all members of the RM Club especially her Dad Pablo and brother Billy.
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