Swimming and taekwondo
FOR Yallourn North’s Kathryn Marmara-Stewart, success at the 14th Australian Masters Games in Geelong looked to be an impossibility.
The 31 year-old mother of three, who competed in swimming and taekwondo, traversed a rocky path to reach the games after undergoing foot surgery four months ago.
Her wounds not fully healed, and still recovering from a ligament tear to her elbow sustained at the March Gippsland Swimming Championships, Marmara-Stewart ploughed forth and entered the fray nevertheless, winning 10 individual medals and five gold over two sports.
The senior first dan black belt student from Kim’s Martial Arts Academy came home with taekwondo gold medals in the 30 to 34 years 1st-3rd dan female sparring and poomsae events and received a third gold for most outstanding female black belt of the games from both WTF and ITF divisions.
Marmara-Stewart, who trains with Morwell Swimming Club and represents the Victorian Casey Seals Masters Swimming Club, also snatched an impressive nine medals in the pool, including four individual silvers and two relay golds.
Given her tumultuous lead-in, Marmara-Stewart said she surprised herself with her results.
“Due to not being allowed to train, I had already written myself off as a chance in either of the two sports,” she said.
“After surprisingly doing so well in the pool, I used this to my advantage in the taekwondo with my fitness being the only thing letting me down in the sparring.
“To come away with a massive 11 to four win to take out the gold is something I certainly will never forget.”
Her competitive achievements, while treasured, took a backseat to another prestigious honour.
“My biggest highlight of the games would have had to have been having the honour of being selected as sign bearer for the taekwondo at the games opening ceremony,” she said.
The next Australian Masters Games will take place in Adelaide in 2015.
