An AIMAA Success Story

Hi my name is Sean,

I am 12 years old, I live with my Mum and Dad and Anna. I moved here when I was 6 years old. When I was little I used to fall over a lot and was always knocking things down and couldn't even go on my bike without the little wheels on the side. My mum told me I had a thing called Dyspraxia. I didn't know what it was but Mum made it real easy to understand, it just meant that sometimes my mind forgets to tell my arms and legs what I want them to do. I'm not handicapped or anything like that it's just not as easy for me to do a lot of things I want to like running fast and playing football or catching a ball.

I joined a lot of different sports clubs like football and rugby but hated it when people made me feel daft because I couldn't be as everyone else even when mum told me as long as I enjoyed it, it didn't matter what people said. I got fed up and left then mum and dad asked if I wanted to try Tae Kwon Do. I didn't really but I said yes anyway.

I went to a local school called 'Cho's', which is part of ‘A.I.M.A.A.' (Action International Martial Arts Association) ran by Mr and Mrs Belgacem. I was made to feel very welcome by everyone there and was never made a fool of. The class has adults and kids in it and we are taught to respect one another and work together. I loved it from the first day. Mr Belgacem and all the other instructors never made me do anything different from anyone else and it didn't matter if I didn't get it right all the time, all that mattered to them was that I tried and I enjoyed what I was doing. I was soon asked if I wanted to take my first grading. I was very scared and nervous but the instructor spoke to mum and said he wouldn't be asking if he didn't think I could do it so that made me feel real good and say yes. That was 2 years ago.

In February this year I sat my green belt grading and passed. Mum and Dad are so proud of me and I feel real good. In March I was told that I was getting an award, I was so excited and was chuffed I was picked and everyone of the instructors made me feel special. We trained an extra day a week and I practised a lot in the house because we were doing a demonstration on the award night. Everything went great on the night and it was real cool watching the instructors do their stuff as well ( I hope one day to be as good as they are) . At the end of the evening I was given a trophy and was told I was the ‘Student of the Year' for 2009. Everyone clapped and mum was even crying when I went to get my award. They had a big picture of me on the wall and I felt soooo good and proud of myself. I felt that way when I was told I could stay with mum and dad for good, and again at the award night. I took my trophy to school and even all the teachers said it was great.

I still fall over now and again and will bump into things but it doesn't matter, mum has taught me to just get up and get on with what I was doing. I'm not handicapped, I'm not daft and I'm not slow or silly....I'm Sean, I'm student of the year and I'm happy!

Mum said noone should be told they can't do things but be told ‘give it a try and if you enjoy it just do it, who cares if your great at it, JUST ENJOY DOING IT'.