Martial Artists: Norma Foster and Nat谩lia Falavigna
Fighting to break down barriers in martial arts: a Scottish karate referee and a Brazilian taekwondo champion share their experiences
Norma Foster from Scotland discovered karate in her teens when her male friends began taking classes and using Japanese words that were strange to her. She decided to start learning herself but when it came to competitions she found herself the only woman in the room. She wasn't deterred and after spending eight years in Tokyo studying karate she now has a sixth degree black belt. Norma became the first female referee at the World Karate Federation, but her career was not without obstacles: on one occasion a competition was shut down because a member of the referee committee claimed that women were not allowed to judge male athletes. Now she wants to increase the number of women referees at all levels of the sport.
Nat谩lia Falavigna from Brazil knew she wanted to be an Olympic athlete from the age of four. She tried several sports before finding taekwondo. When her teacher told her he could make her a world champion she realised she'd found what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. She enjoys the 'explosive' nature of taekwondo which involves high-energy kicking and spinning, and the challenge of mastering her emotions during a fight. In 2004 she achieved her dream of competing in the Olympics, coming fourth place. Then in 2008 she won bronze at the Summer Olympics, becoming the first Brazilian to win an Olympic medal in taekwondo.
Picture: Norma Foster (Right) and Nat谩lia Falavigna (Left)
Picture credits: Peter Stoddart (Right) /Fausto Roim (Left)
Last on
Clips
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My Olympic win
Duration: 01:16
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'Women can't judge men!'
Duration: 01:03
Broadcasts
- Mon 2 Nov 2015 00:32GMT成人快手 World Service
- Mon 2 Nov 2015 03:32GMT成人快手 World Service Americas and the Caribbean
- Mon 2 Nov 2015 05:32GMT成人快手 World Service except Americas and the Caribbean, Australasia, East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
- Mon 2 Nov 2015 07:32GMT成人快手 World Service Australasia
- Mon 2 Nov 2015 18:32GMT成人快手 World Service Australasia
- Mon 2 Nov 2015 19:32GMT成人快手 World Service except Australasia
- Sun 8 Nov 2015 01:32GMT成人快手 World Service Australasia
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