Lindy Joy Crouch won 2 Gold medals at the International Taekwon-Do Federation’s Special Needs World Championships in Argentina, held July 31-August 5. Lindy was Australia’s first down syndrome athlete to compete at the ITF World Championships, in the first fully fledged ITF Special Needs international event. Her instructor, Master Phillip Zdybel, describes Lindy as a ‘very spirited young lady who shows a lot of determination and put in the extra work in addition to regular training. Despite her special needs, Lindy trains in the regular class and does all the same drills and conditioning as the black belts. United ITF TaeKwon-Do Australia president, Master Michael Muleta, said it was a fantastic result for Lindy and the Australian Team. He also noted how the Taekwon-Do special needs section had grown since it’s inception in 2016. In an effort to further develop the program the National Organization now has established a Special Needs Committee.
