On the last weekend of November 2021 a student at Heathlands School became the British Taekwondo National Champion for the Individual Junior Male-Para category.

Ali Rafeeq attended the British Taekwondo National Championships competition with his club, the London Taekwondo Academy and came out with a gold medal.

Ali’s dad, Qaiser said, ‘ (Ali’s) success, is the success of all that are involved in his life’  a tribute to both his family and his school community. Ali attends Heathlands School in St Albans, a nationally renowned provision for deaf children.

Co-Headteacher Lesley Reeves Costi said ‘Ali’s success shows that deaf children can achieve anything they put their mind to, that is always the belief at Heathlands School.’

London Taekwondo Academy’s ethos and approach is fully supportive of individuals with special needs.  The club’s technical director Grandmaster Yusuf Dildar commented that ‘as an organisation we firmly believe in the potential of individuals with special needs and Ali’s success is just another testament to this.