Taekwondo helped Kathleen Elder back to herself
Since being told that there is no guarantee of a full physical recovery, Rivonia's own defied the odds and now enjoys a full-blown Taekwondo class with fly-high kicks.
At the age of 34 in 2004, Kathleen Elder, a dancer and yoga master, started practising taekwondo.
Due to her physical abilities and understanding of movement, she quickly levelled up in grading ranks and earned her first dan black belt and national colours within two years.
“I naturally took to the discipline and structure as a dancer and yoga master to equalise my dedication to taekwondo.”
She explained that taekwondo was different from what she was used to; however, the martial arts way of doing it in training helped her connect with her fighting spirit.
“Dance and yoga gave me the strength of mind, body, and spirit, but I found that taekwondo gave me the masculine energy or more direct energy I needed to balance my feminine energy.”
Elder highlighted that in 2016, she contracted a rare autoimmune condition called Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS) due to a reaction to an immunisation injection.
“It is a disorder in which my immune system attacks my nerves. The first symptoms that made me realise that something was not right were a sensation of extreme weakness and tingling in my hands and feet, difficulty swallowing and breathing, and extreme pain in my jaw.”
She elaborated that she couldn’t train or do anything and that the doctors told her there was no guarantee of a full physical recovery and that it might take two years or more to walk without aid.
“I had nothing but my mind, spirit, and faith, and this was where that warrior spirit from all the years of training kicked in; finding that balance of when to fight and when to let go, to focus and channel my thoughts, not allowing fear to overwhelm me, really came through for me.”
Elder said it was not easy as her heart stopped, and she crashed twice when the doctors were not certain that she would make it.
“I can truly say that taekwondo contributed greatly to saving my life and the strength of mind to, as calmly as I could, navigate the situation and face it.”
She emphasised that she was determined to recover completely.
“I began to heal at a much faster pace than the doctors anticipated. After two weeks in the ICU and another three weeks in the neurology ward, within two months I was able to walk with the aid of crutches and had gained full use of my hands and fingers.”
She explained that she desperately wanted to start taekwondo again when she was fully functional but kept putting it off, as she had to be mentally and emotionally prepared for what she knew would be a very challenging and emotional experience.
“In 2022, my husband Ognjen got me to come with him to his taekwondo class, and in February this year, we opened our Rivonia Taekwondo Club. I have been training twice a week, although I am not yet 100% physical.”
She concluded by stating that she is enjoying practising taekwondo again and embracing the new journey.
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