2:20pm Saturday 15th November 2008
A number of students from the Westbury branch of the Blackbelt Zone Fitness Academy tasted success in the Malympex World Martial Arts Championships at Stoke Mandeville.
Ralph Evans, from Westbury, scooped a gold medal in the over 5ft 10” men’s kumite sparring section.
Elias Baynham, 14, also from Westbury, won a silver medal for the under 6ft junior group in kumite sparring.
At his first competition, Warminster’s Paul Davies took bronze in the over 5ft 10” men’s kumite sparring section.
Competition debutant Codie Goddard, 12, from Warminster, battled her way into the second round of her semi-contact sparring age group, only to be beaten narrowly.
The rest of the team, Jason Windsor and Aaron Tavener, both from Westbury, and Trowbridge fighter Steve Robinson fought bravely in their categories, but were beaten by more experienced opponents.
Close to 500 fighters took part in the championships.
The Blackbelt Zone Fitness Academy has clubs at Westbury and Durrington, near Salisbury.
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