Rice ready for European Taekwon-Do Championships
MARTIAL ARTS
Karl Rice (25) from Slane has been selected to represent Ireland at the 39th AETF European Taekwon-Do Championships in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina from 24th to 27th April 2025.
Karl is the first athlete from Slane to be selected for Team Ireland in Taekwon-Do.
He started on his Taekwon-Do journey in 2008, when he was eight years old, in the Parish Hall in Slane Village. However, after a year the club closed when the Instructor moved to Dublin and Karl transferred to Navan TKD who operated out of Wilkinstown Community Hall.
In 2010 he moved to Meath Taekwon-Do who opened a new club based in the Mercy Secondary School, Brews Hill, Navan.
Karl flourished and earned his 1st, 2nd and 3rd Degree Black Belts here. He has competed in many competitions both National and International, down through the years.
Karl had always expressed an interest in making the Irish Taekwon-Do Team and competing for his country.
In March 2024 he switched his training to North Star Taekwon-Do Club in Killester, Dublin, where he had the opportunity to access more training hours.
He travelled to Midleton, Cork in July to take part in a team training camp, which he found very beneficial, with all of the Team Ireland coaches in attendance.
In November 2024 he competed at the Irish Taekwon-Do Association National Championships in University Limerick and finished in second position. As a result, he was selected for one of the two spots on the team to compete at 3rd Dan Patterns in Sarajevo.
He will also compete in Team Patterns and Mixed Pre-Arranged Sparring at the Europeans.
As part of the preparations, Karl competed at the Dutch Open in the Netherlands in January, the Munster Open in Waterford in February and the Dublin Open this month.
Team Ireland training sessions take place in Clare, Limerick, Tipperary, Cork and Dublin from January to April. As well as his Taekwon-Do sessions, Karl is also in the gym three to four times a week.
Taekwon-Do is a minority sport and the Irish team get no funding from Sports Ireland. Athletes have to pay their own flights/accommodation/meals/travel to and from training session and Karl is actively looking for some sponsors.