SCHOOLGIRL Taylor Curtis has defied injury to win gold in an international Taekwondo competition.

Taylor, a Year 10 pupil at Hurworth School, travelled to Luxembourg to compete in a World Taekwondo G1 event, winning two fights against stronger and taller opponents.

Having snapped her ligament during training last March, she needed an operation to repair it and wasn’t able to start training again until November. Since then, she has won all 15 of her UK fights, before triumphing in Luxembourg.

“My mum signed me up for the world competition,” said Taylor, who confessed to being both very nervous, and excited.

“I could see from the score-board how well I was doing, so I knew after my second fight that I had won gold.”

Taylor has been doing Taekwondo for about eight years – ever since she was bullied at primary school and her dad, John, thought it would be a good idea to take up the sport.

When she started training, she didn’t have much confidence, but with the help and support of her coaches Debbie Williamson and Paul Horsley, at Firthmoor Community Centre, her confidence has grown.

Her younger sister, Morgan, 13, is also a successful competitor, and has already been selected as part of the GB Taekwondo team.

Her father John has now become a Taekwondo coach after the girls persuaded him to take it up as well, and the whole family travel together to competitions.

Taylor’s sights are now set on trying out for the GB team at trials to be held soon in Manchester, before her next world competition in Poland in October.