This article is from page 70 of the 2008-10-28 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 70 JPG
TULLA schoolgirl, Louise McCagh may seem shy and retiring but she’s a young lady muggers would be wiser not to cross.
The Kilkishen girl has just returned from Italy where she took the World Taekwon-do Cup title in the 15 to 18 black belt category as well as gold and silver medals and the Top Junior Competitor ranking.
The wins were no mean achieve- ment as Louise was just one of 1,200 competitors representing 55 coun- Woe
Louise travelled to Riva del Garda
in Northern Italy as one of fifteen Clare competitors who were part of the Irish team.
Competitors from clubs in Shan- non, Quin and Ballyea were involved in the world class competition which saw the Irish team as a whole ranked erere) NOR
“What Louise did was absolutely amazing,’ said Stephen Ryan, one of the coaching team for the competi- tion.
Stephen was also a competitor and he teaches PE and Geography at Tulla Secondary School as well as running Taekwan-do classes after school.
“We are all so proud of Louise –
she’s incredibly talented and she has worked very hard. We knew she was on form this year, winning gold in all her competitions but to take the world title is something else,’ said Stephen.
Louise has been practising her martial art for the last eight years and has been in intensive training for the world competition since last July. “She was training every day and eve- ry spare minute,” said Stephen.
Shy of her new status in the lime- light, she would say only that she is “delighted” to have won and added that it was an honour to have the op- portunity to represent Ireland on the
world stage.
Louise was given a heroine’s wel- come when she returned to Tulla Secondary School after her win.
CODES Lom Ns UDMMCCODeleKo Nee: IKommO)I mm Nloe studies as a fourth year student and will also be looking to defending her world title in two years time at the next world championships in Las Moree he