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PRESS
ARTICLES |
NOVEMBER
2007 |
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Crosbie Lifts Euro
Crown
The
West Lothian Courier - 8 November 2007
LONGRIDGE martial artist Claire
Crosbie triumphantly flew the flag for Scotland and West
Lothian recently as she was crowned Taekwon-Do European
Champion.
Crosbie was competing at the ITF European Taekwon-Do
Championships in Estonia, where she took the gold medal in
the senior female patterns category for 4th degree black
belts.
It was a successful return to the Scotland team for the
Longridge woman, who was determined to improve on her bronze
at the 2003 championships in Slovakia. Her achievements were all the more impressive considering
she has a full-time job ad can only train part time. But her hard work and preparation at Master Hutchison’s
Taekwon-Do Academy in Whitburn helped her overcome full-time
opponents to clinch the title.
A tough battle against Bulgarian Amalia Kuleva was Claire’s
first task at the event in Tallin before she clashed with
Russian Ekaterina Kumova, who was a finalist at the 2007 ITF
World Championships. Claire produced a magnificent display of her two pattern
techniques against the Russian, earning top marks from four
of the five judges to secure a place in the final.
It was a big win for the West Lothian star against one of
Europe’s biggest names in Taekwon-do but in the final she
met another of the sports top stars, Czech Radka Heyduskova. The final was a thrilling encounter, with Crosbie doing
enough in the end to take the crown and earn Scotland’s only
senior gold medal of the championships.
“I was really pleased with my own performance, having put in
so much work throughout the year to perfect the techniques
needed for an international competition,” said Claire. “It was an emotional moment when the result was announced,
having trained so long and hard to reach this position. “I’d like to thank my instructor, senior master Les
Hutchison, who worked tirelessly with me in training and
provided the much-needed support and encouragement to see me
through to the finals.”
Claire also paid tribute to her sponsors, but added:
“TaeKwon-Do receives very little in the way of funding, so
I’d like to thank everyone at Click Netherfield Ltd in
Livingston for their sponsorship and also those who donated
through my website. Their efforts are greatly appreciated.”
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CLAIRE Crosbie proved she was
the golden girl once more after being crowned European
champion at the ITF European Taekwon-Do Championships in
Estonia.
The event, staged in the
capital Tallinn, saw Crosbie take the gold medal in the
senior female patterns category for 4th degree black belts.
It was a successful return to
the Scotland team for Crosbie, of Inverness, who was
determined to improve on her previous best at this level
when she took bronze at the 2003 championships in Slovakia.
Her path to the final was not
without difficulty, however, and it took a gutsy performance
to give her a win over Bulgarian Amalia Kuleva before going
on to face Russia's Ekaterina Kumova, a finalist at the 2007
ITF World Championships.
Crosbie, a full-time care
worker, looked to be up against it, but a magnificent
display helped secure her place in the final with four of
the five judges awarding top marks for her performance.
The defeat of one of Europe's
top Taekwon-do competitors was a remarkable achievement yet
it was inevitable that she would be drawn against the other
in the final, Radka Heyduskova of the Czech Republic. But
Crosbie once again belied the odds to claim a memorable
victory and collect Scotland's only senior gold medal of the
championships "I was really pleased with my own performance,
having put in so much work throughout the year to make
perfect the techniques needed for an international
competition," she said. "It was an emotional moment when the
result was announced after training so long and hard to
reach this position.
"I'd like to thank my
instructor, senior master Les Hutchison, who worked
tirelessly with me in training and provided the much-needed
support and encouragement to see me to the finals, as well
as all the local businesses who have sponsored me."
Claire Crosbie proudly shows
off the gold medal she won at the
ITF European Taekwon-Do
Championships alongside
instructor, senior master Les
Hutchison.
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Claire triumphs in
Tallinn
The
Lanark Gazette - 1 November 2007
SCOTLAND martial artist Claire
Crosbie proved she was the golden girl again when she was
recently crowned European Champion after competing at the
ITF European Taekwon-Do Championships in Estonia.
The event, staged in the capital Tallinn, saw Crosbie take
the Gold medal in the senior female Patterns category for
4th degree black belts. It was a successful return to the Scotland team for Crosbie,
who was determined to improve on her previous best at this
level when she took bronze at the 2003 championships in
Slovakia.
As a full-time care worker, she uses her spare time to train
at Master Hutchison’s Taekwon-Do Academy. Claire’s impressive display on the day saw her outshine many
of her full time trained opponents to clinch the title. Her path to the final wasn’t without difficulty and it was a
gutsy performance that saw her defeat Bulgarian Amalia
Kuleva before going on to face Russia’s Ekaterina Kumova, a
finalist at the 2007 ITF World Championships. And after a
magnificent display of her two pattern techniques against
the Russian, her place in the final was secured, with 4 of
the 5 judges awarding her top marks for her performance.
The defeat of one of Europes Taekwon-do superpowers was a
remarkable achievement and it was inevitable that she would
be drawn against the other in the final - the Czech
Republic. It was a thrilling display that saw Crosbie clinch the top
spot from the Czech Radka Heyduskova and collect Scotlands
only senior gold medal of the championships
She said, “I was really pleased with my own performance
having put in so much work throughout the year to make
perfect the techniques needed for an International
competition. It was an emotional moment when the result was announced,
having trained so long and hard to reach this position. “I’d like to thank my instructor, Senior Master Les
Hutchison, who worked tirelessly with me in training and
provided the much needed support and encouragement to see me
to the finals”
Crosbie would also like to thank her sponsors for the
competition. With TaeKwon-Do receiving very little in the
way of funding, she came up with a novel idea of inviting
businesses to donate to an online “Sponsors Board”
on her website saying, “the board proved very
successful, the response from local businesses has
allowed me to travel to the event and I’d like to
thank them all for their support”.
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Crosbie strikes gold in
Estonia
The
Press and Journal - 1 November 2007
INVERNESS-based taekwon-do martial arts player Claire
Crosbie won a gold medal at the sport's European
championships.
The 26-year-old care worker earned first place in the senior
female patterns category for fourth degree black belts at
the ITF European taekwon-do championships in Tallinn,
Estonia.
Crosbie, whose previous best was a bronze at the 2003
championships in Slovakia, said: "I was really pleased with
my performance having put in so much work throughout the
year."
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Crosbie clinches gold in
Tallinn
 MARTIAL
artist Claire Crosbie, from Inverness, proved she
was the golden girl again when she was crowned
European Taekwon-do champion in Estonia recently.
The event staged in the capital Tallinn, saw Crosbie
clinch gold in the senior female patterns category
for fourth degree black belts.
It was a successful return to the Scotland team for
Crosbie, who was determined to improve on her
previous best at this level when she took bronze at
the 2003 championships in Slovakia.
As a full time care worker, she uses her spare time
to train at Master Hutchison’s Taekwon-Do Academy.
Her impressive display saw her outshine many of her
fully trained opponents to secure the title.
Her path to the final wasn’t without difficulty it
was a gutsy performance that saw her defeat
Bulgarian Amalia Kuleva before going on to face
Russia’s Ekaterina Kumova, a finalist at the 2007
ITF World Championships.
And after a magnificent display of her two pattern
techniques against the Russian, her place in the
final was secured, with four of the five judges
awarding her top marks for her performance.
The defeat of one of Europe’s Taekwon-do superpowers
was a remarkable achievement and it was inevitable
that she would be drawn against the other in the
final - the Czech Republic. It was a thrilling
display that saw Crosbie take the top spot from
Radka Heyduskova and collect Scotland’s only senior
gold medal of the championships.
She said: “I was really pleased with my performance,
having put in so much work throughout the year to
make perfect the techniques needed for an
international competition. It was an emotional
moment when the result was announced, having trained
so long and hard to reach this position. I’d like to
thank my instructor, senior master Les Hutchison, who worked
tirelessly with me in training and provided the much
needed support and encouragement to see me to the
finals.”
Claire would also like to thank her sponsors for the
competition. With TaeKwon-Do receiving very little
in the way of funding, she came up with a novel idea
of inviting businesses to donate to an on-line
sponsors’ board on her website.
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PRESS
ARTICLES |
OCTOBER
2007 |
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Inverness
black belt takes silver
The
Inverness Courier - 5 October 2007
 AN
Inverness martial artist has continued her
impressive run of form this year by winning a silver
medal at the English Taekwon-do Championships in
Crawley.
Claire Crosbie, a 4th Dan black
belt, produced a fine display last weekend to claim second
place in the senior female patterns section of the event,
narrowly losing out to England internationalist Laura Orgill
for the gold medal.
Her success means another
welcome addition to her ever-increasing medal collection
after winning gold and silver at the British Open in
Sheffield and the Slovenian Open, two bronzes at the Welsh
Open, and gold at the inaugural Professor Chang Ung Cup, an
international competition, which took place in Edinburgh.
This has taken Crosbie's total
medal haul to a staggering 19 gold, 18 silver and 10 bronze
medals in national and international competitions since she
took up the sport in 1993. The 26-year-old, who is a
full-time care worker, trains in her spare time under the
instruction of senior master Les Hutchison, an 8th Dan and
himself a former World and European champion. Her efforts have been reward-ed
with inclusion in the Scotland squad, which will take part
in the European Championships in Estonia later this month.
"I was delighted with my
performance in Crawley," said Crosbie. "The event always
produces a high standard of competition and the result
provides the perfect boost ahead of the European
Championships."
Crosbie is no stranger to the
international scene, having collected bronze medals at both
the World and European Championships in 2003, while her
dedication to taekwon-do has also seen her umpire in some of
the major championships around the world, the highlight
coming at the 2007 ITF World Championships in Slovenia where
she had the honour of umpiring in the finals.
Without financial help,
however, Crosbie would not be able to compete down south or
abroad and sponsor Kevin Sutherland, of Greig Street Stores,
lends his support to her cause.
"Without the support of local
businesses such as his, travelling to competitions would be
difficult," she added. "Taekwon-do is not a well funded
sport, so any financial help is always gratefully
appreciated."
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Hat-trick of successes for martial arts club
The Wishaw Press - 4 October 2007
MARTIAL ARTS coach Les
Hutchison is celebrating after seeing three of his students
win medals at last weekend’s English taekwon-do championship
in Crawley.
The eighth-dan former world and European champion, from
Morningside, saw Claire Crosbie claim silver in the senior
patterns category of the contest in Crawley, narrowly losing
out to fellow international competitor Laura Orgill.
Club mate Tommy Walsh also finished as runner-up in the blue
belt heavyweight sparring division, while the local coach
also guided junior member Ellie Fordyce to a bronze medal in
sparring.
Les, who took a five-strong squad south for the contest,
said: “It was a very successful and rewarding competition
for us. There were 300 competitors in total so the divisions
were quite large and it was a good achievement for everyone
to get through as many rounds as they did.”
Claire is sponsored by local
firm Cleland Construction and their support has assumed even
greater importance after the 26-year-old also earned a place
in the Scotland squad which will travel to this month’s
European championship in Estonia. A fourth-dan black belt,
she first took up the martial art 14 years ago and has since
won 19 national and international titles.
Her haul from the past 12 months alone includes gold and
silver from both the British and Slovenian Opens and the
inaugural Professor Chang Ung Cup, the top prize from a new
international contest in Edinburgh. Now she is hoping to produce an even better performance than
at the European and world championship four years ago, when
she finished third in her category at both events.
Les said: “Claire has great potential. It all depends on the
luck of the draw as anything could happen on the day, but it
would be an excellent result if she comes home with a
medal.”
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Silver lining for north
martial artist
The Highland News - 4 October 2007
AN Inverness-based martial
artist has clinched a silver medal at the English Taekwon-Do
Championships – and won a place in the Scotland team for
this month's European Championships.
Claire Crosbie, a 4th Dan black belt in the Korean martial
art, produced a fine performance at the weekend in the
senior women's patterns section, narrowly losing out to
England internationalist Laura Orgill for the top prize.
Over 300 students from across the UK attended the
competition held in Crawley, West Sussex. Now Crosbie can add her new medal to her growing collection. The last 12 months has seen her take gold and silver medals
at the British Open in Sheffield, win gold and silver medals
while competing at the Slovenia Open, pick up two bronze
medals at the Welsh Open in Cardiff, and also win gold at
the inaugural Professor Chang Ung Cup, an international
competition held in Edinburgh.
The 26 year-old has managed to notch up a staggering 19
gold, 18 silver and 10 bronze medals in national and
international competitions since she took up the sport in
1993. Crosbie, who works as a
full-time care worker, trains in her spare time under the
instruction of senior master Les Hutchison, an 8th Dan and a
former World and European champion. Her efforts have been rewarded with an inclusion into the
Scotland squad, which will see her perform at the European
Championships in Estonia later this month.
She said: "I was delighted with my performance in Crawley.
The event always produces a high standard of competition and
the result provides the perfect boost ahead of the European
Championships."
She is also no stranger to the international scene, having
collected bronze medals at both the World and European
Championships in 2003. Her work in Taekwon-Do has also seen
her umpire in some of the major championships around the
world. Her highlight came at the 2007 ITF World
Championships in Slovenia where she was given the honour of
umpiring in the finals.
The far travelled martial artist would like to thank her
sponsor, Kevin Sutherland of Greig Street Stores in
Inverness, for her trip to the English Open, adding:
"without the support of local businesses such as his, travel
to competitions would be difficult."
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Claire
takes on the men and wins bronze
West Lothian News - 7 June 2007
WEST
LOTHIAN martial artist Claire Crosbie gave up the chance of
automatic gold at the recent Welsh Open Championships in
Cardiff - in order to compete against the men.
But Claire still won two bronze medals at the prestigious
event, in the female under 57kg sparring event and again in
the 4th degree patterns section.
The Open event would have seen her been awarded an automatic
Gold medal in the female patterns section, being the only
female of that level who attended. Instead she opted to
compete with the men, saying “it was unfortunate that there
was no one else in my category, and having travelled so far
I still wanted to be given the chance to compete, so
thankfully the officials agreed I could compete with the men
at 4th degree level.” The event was attended by more than 250 competitors from
around the UK.
Claire, a student of the Whitburn Taekwon-Do Academy and a
4th degree black belt in the Korean martial art, would like
to thank her sponsors, Buildbase in Whitburn and Kilts by
Lindsay in Livingston for their help with her trip. She said: “I am grateful for the kind assistance of local
businesses and their sponsorship. I would be unable to
travel to events such as this without them”.
Claire now hopes to raise enough to attend her next
competition in Europe, the Czech Republic Open
Championships. If you would like to sponsor Claire or just
follow her progress visit
www.clairecrosbie.co.uk.
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PRESS
ARTICLES |
MARCH
2007 |
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Slovenian
Gold for Claire
The Lanark Gazette - 22 March 2007
 Taekwon-Do ace Claire Crosbie,
who trains youngsters aged four to 11 at her own class in
Forth, was in gold medal-winning form at the recent
Slovenian Open Cup.
Claire, a student at Master Les Hutchison’s Taekwon-Do
Academy took gold in the female patterns section of the
event. She also managed silver in the under 57kg sparring,
beating Slovenian opposition on both occasions to take the
prizes.
Over 300 competitors attended the event, held in the
picturesque town of Polzela, with many coming from Bosnia,
Croatia, Serbia and Poland.
Claire, who was the sole representative from Scotland, said:
“It’s been my aim to compete more on an international level
this year. There were some really strong, well-disciplined
martial artists here so I’m pleased to have competed against
them and won. The event was a difficult one for me
personally as it coincided with the anniversary of the passing of my late brother
Tom. I was delighted to take these medals and to him I
would like to dedicate them.
She added: “I’d like to thank my Instructor Master Hutchison
who I have trained with now for 15 years, and also
Lanarkshire firm Maclay Civil Engineering who have provided
me with sponsorship. Without their kind assistance I would
not have been able to compete in the event.”
Claire is also extremely keen for as many Scottish people as
possible to try Taekwon-do and possibly follow in her
footsteps.
She added: “Taekwon-Do is suitable for both male and female,
young and old. Classes with Master Hutchison’s Academy
provide a mixture of both physical and mental stimulation,
helping keep the body fit and healthy through fat burning
and muscle strengthening exercises.” Although spaces are
limited, new members are always welcome. For more details
visit www.masterhutchison.co.uk |
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Claire dedicates medal
to her brother
West Lothian News - 15 March 2007
 A
WEST LOTHIAN martial artist has dedicated her latest gold
medal to her late brother.
Claire Crosbie, from Longridge, continued her European medal
winning run this week when she attended the Slovenia Open
Taekwon-Do Championships.
A student at Master Hutchison’s Taekwon-Do Academy in
Whitburn, Claire took the Gold medal in the female Patterns
category and a Silver in the under 57kg Sparring event,
beating Slovenian opposition on both occasions to take the
prizes.
Claire, who was the sole representative from Scotland, said:
“It’s been my aim to compete more on an international level
this year. There were some really strong, well-disciplined
martial artists here so I’m pleased to have competed against
them and won. The event was a difficult one for me
personally as it coincided with the anniversary of my late
brother Tom. I was delighted to take these medals and to him
I would like to dedicated them.”
Over 300 competitors from Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia, and
Poland attended the competition, held in the picturesque
Slovenian town of Polzela.
Claire added, “I’d like to thank my Instructor Master
Hutchison who I have trained with now for 15 years, and also
local firm Whitburn Buildbase who have provided me with
sponsorship. Without their kind assistance I would not have
been able to compete in this event.”
To help her raise funds for her sport Claire decided to
create her own website and add a “Sponsors Board” web page
that allows local businesses to advertise their company, for
the cost of a small donation. She said, “it was something I
started last year and since then the site has really grown.
Companies, large and small, both locally and now nationally
have really shown a desire to help out for which I owe them
great thanks. The donations the site has collected have been
really helpful in covering some of the costs attending
competitions like this can bring. The board allows me to
give a little something back to those that have helped me
over the last year.” If you wish to sponsor Claire or just
follow her progress visit www.clairecrosbie.co.uk. |
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Claire Crosbie wins gold and
silver medals
Thebestof.co.uk (Aberdeen) - 15
March 2007
 Scotland Taekwon-Do martial artist Claire Crosbie continued
her European medal winning run this week when she attended
the Slovenia Open Championships.
Claire, a student of Master Hutchison’s Taekwon-Do
Academies, took the Gold medal in the female Patterns
category and a Silver in the under 57kg Sparring event,
beating Slovenian opposition on both occasions to take the
prizes.
Over 300 competitors from Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia, and
Poland attended the competition, held in the picturesque
Slovenian town of Polzela.
Claire, who was the sole representative from Scotland, said
“It’s been my aim to compete more on an international level
this year. There were some really strong, well-disciplined
martial artists here so I’m pleased to have competed against
them and won. The event was a difficult one for me
personally as it coincided with the anniversary of my late
brother Tom. I was delighted to take these medals and to him
I would like to dedicated them.” She added, “I’d like to
thank my Instructor Master Hutchison who I have trained with
now for 15 years, and also Aberdeen firm BJ Services Company
Ltd who have provided me with sponsorship. Without their
kind assistance I would not have been able to compete in
this event.”
To help her raise funds for her sport Claire decided to
create her own website and add a “Sponsors Board” web page
that allows local businesses to advertise their company, for
the cost of a small donation. She said, “it was something I
started last year and since then the site has really grown.
Companies, large and small, both locally and now nationally
have really shown a desire to help out for which I owe them
great thanks. The donations the site has collected have been
really helpful in covering some of the costs attending
competitions like this can bring. The board allows me to
give a little something back to those that have helped me
over the last year.” If you wish to sponsor Claire or just
follow her progress visit her website
here. |
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Claire wins a top taekwondo prize
Laura Meldrum, West Lothian
Herald and Post - 1 March 2007
 A WEST Lothian carer has picked up a top award for her
expertise in the martial art taekwondo.
Claire Crosbie from Longridge
took home the first trophy of the day at The Professor Chang
Ung Cup, an International Taekwon-Do competition held in
Edinburgh’s Meadowbank Sports Centre recently.
The 25-year-old works full time
as a carer but spends her spare time training with former
champion Master Les Hutchison at his Taekwon-Do Academy in
Whitburn.
The West Lothian woman put in
an outstanding performance to take the top prize in the
female 3rd and 4th Degree Black Belt patterns section.
The event, attended by VIP’s
Professor Ung, President of the International Taekwon-Do
Federation, Grand Master Rhee Ki Ha, founder of European
Taekwondo, also attracted a high standard of Black Belt
competitors from around the UK and Europe.
Claire, a 4th Degree said “I
was delighted with my performance today, it was a tough
competition and great to start the Taekwon-Do year off with
this trophy. "I'd like to thank my
instructor Master Hutchison, Mrs Orr my coach for the day
and Mrs Dorward who was the club's umpiring representative”.
But the local martial artist is
looking towards the future and the next competition. She added “Its back to training
again, as I hope to continue on from my success and prepare
for the next event which will be an open cup competition in
Slovenia.
"Attending competitions like
these always provide that extra experience, its both
rewarding and a great learning opportunity. It can be
difficult to obtain funding for this particular sport, so I was delighted to receive
sponsorship from Lammies Bar in Fauldhouse. Their kind
support will allow me to travel to the event.”
Claire’s success follows on
from her recent winning performances at the English and
British Championships where on both occasions she picked up
Gold medals for her patterns and Silver for sparring. The Longridge woman trains five
days a week and manages to juggle her work with
her training. "If I have a few hours during the day I
will try and fit in some time at the gym," said Claire. "I've been training since I was
ten. It's only in the past few years that I've done a
lot more training and got more competitive about it."
For more information on Master Hutchison's West Lothian
Taekwondo classes visit
www.masterhutchison.co.uk. |
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PRESS
ARTICLES |
FEBRUARY
2007 |
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Taekwon-Do
joy for Claire as she takes
trophy at Professor Chang
Ung Cup
The Lanark Gazette - 22
February 2007
There was joy for TaeKwon-Do
martial artist Claire Crosbie when she took the first trophy
of the day at the Professor Chang Ung Cup, an International
TaeKwon-Do competition held in Edinburgh's Meadowbank Sports
Centre at the weekend.
Claire, who takes classes for juniors in Forth, put in an
outstanding performance to take the top prize in the female
3rd and 4th Degree Black Belt patterns section.
The event, attended by VIP's Professor Ung, President of the
International TaeKwon-Do Federation and Grand Master Rhee Ki Ha, founder of
European TaeKwon-Do also attracted a high standard of Black
Belt competitors from around the UK and Europe.
The 25-year-old who trains with former champion Master Les
Hutchison at his TaeKwon-Do Academy in Whitburn, takes her
own classes in Forth for juniors aged between four and 11.
Although space is limited, new members are always welcome.
Anyone interested can contact Master Hutchison on 01698
381753 or Claire on 01501 771205 for further information. |
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Top prize for West Lothian
Sportswoman
Thebestof.co.uk (West Lothian) -
3 February 2007
 There was joy for Taekwon-Do martial artist Claire Crosbie
when she took the first trophy of the day at The Professor
Chang Ung Cup, an International Taekwon-Do competition held
in Edinburgh’s Meadowbank Sports Centre at the weekend. The
West Lothian sportswoman put in an outstanding performance
to take the top prize in the female 3rd and 4th Degree Black
Belt patterns section.
The event, attended by VIP’s
Professor Ung, President of the International Taekwon-Do
Federation, Grand Master Rhee Ki Ha, founder of European
Taekwon-Do and Master Les Hutchison, Vice President of the
All European TaeKwon-Do Federation and Scotland ITF also
attracted a high standard of Black Belt competitors from
around the UK and Europe.
Claire, a 4th Degree said “I
was delighted with my performance today, it was a tough
competition and great to start the Taekwon-Do year off with
this trophy.
The 25-year-old, a full time
care worker in West Lothian, trains with former champion
Master Les Hutchison at his Taekwon-Do Academy in Whitburn.
She said, "I'd like to thank my instructor Master Hutchison,
Mrs Orr my coach for the day and Mrs Dorward who was the
club's umpiring representative”. She added “Its back to
training again tomorrow, as I hope to continue on from my
success and prepare for the next event which will be an open
cup competition in Slovenia in two weeks time. Attending
competitions like these always provide that extra
experience, its both rewarding and a great learning
opportunity. It can be difficult to obtain funding for this
particular sport, so I was delighted to receive sponsorship
from Lammies Bar in Fauldhouse. Their kind support will
allow me to travel to the event.”
Claire’s success follows on
from her recent winning performances at the English and
British Championships where on both occasions she picked up
Gold medals for her patterns and Silver for sparring.
For more information on Master Hutchison's West Lothian
Taekwon-Do classes please telephone 01698 381753 or visit
www.masterhutchison.co.uk.
Results were: -
1st Claire Crosbie - Scotland
2nd Silvia Farigu - Italy
3rd Maria Risk - Scotland |
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Outstanding performance is
the winning ways for Claire
The West Lothian Courier - 22
February 2007
LONGRIDGE martial artist Claire
Crosbie was overjoyed after winning the first trophy at the
prestigious Professor Chang Ung Cup in Edinburgh at the
weekend.
The West Lothian martial artist put in an outstanding
performance to take the top prize in third and fourth Degree
Black Belt patterns section of the International Taekwon-Do
competition that was held at Meadowbank Sports Centre.
The event, which was personally attended by Professor Ung,
President of the International Taekwon-Do Federation and
Grand Master Rhee Ki Ha, founder of European Taekwon-Do also
attracted a high standard of Black Belt competitors from
around the United Kingdom as well as from Europe.
Claire, a fourth Degree expert, said: “I was delighted with
my performance, it was a tough competition and great to
start the Taekwon-Do year off with this trophy.”
The 25-year-old, who works as a full-time care worker in
West Lothian, trains with former champion Les
Hutchison at his Taekwon-Do Academy in Whitburn. She added: “I’d like to thank
my instructor Master Hutchison, Mrs Orr, my coach for the
day, and Mrs Dorward, who was the club’s umpiring
representative.
“I hope to
continue on from my success and prepare for the next event
which will be an open cup competition in Slovenia in two
week’s time. Attending competitions like
these always provide that extra experience. It’s both
rewarding and a great learning opportunity. It can be
difficult to obtain funding for this particular sport, so I
was delighted to receive sponsorship from Lammies Bar in
Fauldhouse. Their kind support will allow me to travel
to the event.”
Claire’s success follows on
from her recent winning performances at the English and
British Championships where she picked up gold medals for
her patterns and silver for sparring. For more
information on Master Hutchison’s West Lothian Taekwon-Do
classes telephone 01698 381753 or visit www.masterhutchison.co.uk. |
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Another top trophy for
Claire
West Lothian News - 19 February 2007
 WEST LOTHIAN Taekwon-Do
black belt expert Claire Crosbie has started 2007 the way
she ended 2006 - by winning a trophy.
Claire took the first trophy of the day at The Professor
Chang Ung Cup, an International Taekwon-Do competition held
in Edinburgh’s Meadowbank Sports Centre at the weekend.
She took top prize in the female 3rd and 4th Degree Black
Belt patterns section.
The event, attended by VIP’s Professor Ung, President of the
International Taekwon-Do Federation and Grand Master Rhee Ki
Ha, founder of European Taekwon-Do also attracted a high
standard of Black Belt competitors from around the UK and
Europe.
Claire, a 4th Degree, told West
Lothian NEWS: “I was delighted with my performance today, it
was a tough competition and great to start the Taekwon-Do
year off with this trophy.
The 25-year-old, a full time care worker in West Lothian,
trains with former champion Master Les Hutchison at his
Taekwon-Do Academy in Whitburn. She said, I'd like to thank
my instructor Master Hutchison, Mrs Orr my coach for the day
and Mrs Dorward who was the clubs umpiring representative”. |
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PRESS
ARTICLES |
NOVEMBER
2006 |
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Claire
clinches British taekwon-do title
The Lanark Gazette - 28 November 2006
Glory for martial arts
marvel
TAEKWON-DO martial artist Claire Crosbie
was in medal winning form again at the UKTA British
Championships last weekend. Following her recent
medal success at the English Championships, she
continued her impressive form, taking the gold medal for
Blackbelt 4th degree patterns and silver for -57kg
sparring.
The event at the Ponds Forge International Sports Arena
in Sheffield attracted over 400 competitors from around
the UK and Ireland. Claire (25), who takes her own class
in Forth church hall, said: "The event always attracts a
strong field of competition and I was really pleased
with my own performance. I narrowly missed out on the
gold for sparring, but was delighted to make up for it
with the result in my patterns."
Claire, a 4th degree, trains with Master Les Hutchison,
8th degree, at his Taekwon-Do Academy in Whitburn. Her
medal tally for competitions in the UK this year alone
now stands at eight, but there will be no let up in her
rigorous training schedule as she prepares for her final
competition of the year - a trip to St Petersburg,
Russia in December for the Cup of Peter the Great.
In a bid to find funding for her travel expenses, Claire
has invited businesses across Scotland to advertise on a
"Sponsor Board" page within her own website. Thanking
the ones who had helped her so far, she said: ''The need
for competition funding is always a continuous thing,
and if any business would like to add their names to the
sponsor board, they can visit my website
www.clairecrosbie.co.uk."
In Forth, Claire runs classes for juniors aged between
four and 11-year-olds. ''New members are always welcome.
The kids we have at the moment are really enjoying their
training and beginning to show a lot of potential, with
some having recently received pass marks in their
grading." If you are interested in becoming a
member of the Tuesday night class contact Master
Hutchison on 01698 381753 for further information.
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Alive
and Kicking
By Susie Coon,
Lothian Life
- 28 November 2006
 To say that the sport of
Taekwon-do is alive and kicking in West Lothian is something
of an understatement. The county has spawned champions at
all levels for years and the latest talent to emerge is
twenty five year old Claire Crosbie of Longridge. Claire has
been practising the sport for fifteen years, ever since she
chummed her mother’s friend’s son to his first lesson and
became hooked herself. The teacher, Mr Hutchison, asked her
to demonstrate one of the moves and she loved it.
“I like the discipline,” Claire
explains, “the fact that I know I’m well drilled. And I have
great respect for Mr Hutchison and his training.”
Claire’s own ability and
consistent training have earned her international success
with this year alone a gold medal in the ‘patterns’ and a
silver in sparring at the English Open Championships. At
just 25, Claire believes she has still to reach her peak but
that this could be achieved in the next couple of years.
The Bigger Stage
Her coach, Master Les Hutchison says, “I’ve taught many
champions and in Claire’s case, we’re trying to make a
breakthrough onto the bigger stage. She certainly puts in
the training and she’s come on a ton in the last three or
four years, since we changed her training programme. We’re
worked to improve her body building through exercise and
through nutrition and her general wellbeing is greatly
improved. But until you compete against the best, you don’t
know how good you are.”
 Taekwon-do
came to this country from Korea in the 1960s, brought by a
number of experts who taught slightly different styles. This
has led to a number of different schools being set up in
this country, the governing body which encompasses them all
being the British Taekwon-do Council.
In world terms there are two
bodies which represent and organise Taekwon-do, with one of
these, the World Tae-kwon-do Federation, representing the
version of the sport which is involved in the Olympic Games.
Unfortunately for Claire, the style that she has learnt is
not recognised by this body, so she is left to enter the
Open competitions with no support or funding other than what
she can muster herself. Many athletes in a number of sports,
particularly those which are not represented at the Olympic
Games, find themselves under funded and it is a real struggle
getting to events.
Says Master Hutchison, “We are
talking to the World Taekwon-do Federation with a view to
combining, so that athletes from both disciplines will be
eligible to compete and to receive funding.”
Meanwhile, Claire’s boyfriend,
Mike Stirling has come up with a scheme whereby anyone can
help by donating just £1 on Claire’s web site. If enough
people sent £1, it would be a great help to Claire, who
wishes to travel to Russia to take part in the Peter the
Great Cup on the 9th and 10th December and to Canada in
February for the General Choi Cup. “That one is special
because it is named after the founder of Taekwon-do, General
Choi,” Claire says. “Everyone wants to do well there.”
Two Disciplines
Claire takes part in two disciplines; ‘patterns’ and
sparring. In the former, each athlete performs a set series
of moves, which include all the exercises in one form or
another. The level of difficulty is set according to the
level of proficiency, which is measured by the colour of
belt earned and worn by the athlete. (Claire is a black belt
and fourth Dan.) In sparring, athletes of similar weight
compete against each other in a knock-out competition.
Claire works full-time as a
carer, a job which she finds very rewarding but also
demanding both physically and emotionally. “I’m glad I’ve
got Taekwon-do as a release in the evenings,” she says.
As well as training five or six
nights a week, Claire teaches a class in Forth where she
tries to instil the discipline, skill and respect that she
has learnt into her young charges.
If you would like to follow
Claire’s progress or to sponsor her by any small amount,
even just £1, you can keep up to date
here. |
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Claire proves she's best of
British in win
The West
Lothian Courier - 30 November
2006
TAEKWON-DO martial artist
Claire Crosbie was in medal winning form at the UKTA British
Championships recently.
Following her recent medal
success at the English Championships, the Longridge based
Taekwon-do player continued her impressive form, taking the
gold medal in the Blackbelt Fourth degree patterns and
silver for –57kg sparring.
The event, that was held at the
Ponds Forge International Sports Arena in Sheffield,
attracted over 400 competitors from around the UK and
Ireland.
And Claire (25) said: “The
event always attracts a strong field and I was really
pleased with my own performance. I narrowly missed out
on the gold for sparring, but was delighted to make up for
it with the result in my patterns.”
The 4th degree
martial artist trains with Master Les Hutchison, 8th
degree, at his Taekwon-Do Academy in Whitburn. And her
medal tally for competitions in the UK this year alone now
stands at eight. Yet there will be no let up in her
rigorous training schedule as she prepares for her final
competition of the year – a trip to St Petersburg, Russia in
December for the Cup of Peter the Great.
In a bid to fund her travel
expenses, Claire has came up with a novel idea for
attracting sponsorship. After setting up her own
website she invited businesses across Scotland to advertise
on a ‘sponsor board’ page on her site.
Claire added: “The interest in
the site has been steady, and more successful than I had
first anticipated. “There have been companies from all
four corners of the country willing to help me out
financially. “It is a fact that without them, travel
costs to competitions would be difficult.”
Claire would also like to thank
Combserve Ltd in Blackburn, Kilts by Lindsay in Livingston
and Aldos, D McCord and the local community in Longridge for
all their support.
If any local firm can help sponsor Claire as she continues
her success should go to her website at
www.clairecrosbie.co.uk. |
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Claire strikes gold at UK championship
The Wishaw
Press - 29 November
2006
A MARTIAL artist trained by
Morningside Taekwon-Do Master Les Hutchison has triumphed at
the British championships, claiming gold and silver medals.
Claire Crosbie was sponsored by
local firm Cleland Construction to attend the UKTA
competition in Sheffield, where she won the black belt
fourth-degree patterns title and came second in the under
57kg sparring section.
Now the 25-year-old, who also
won patterns and sparring silver at the recent English
championship, hopes to add to her tally of eight medals this
year when she travels to Russia next month to take part in
the Cup of Peter the Great. She said “I narrowly missed out
on the gold for sparring at the UKTA championship but I was
delighted to make up for it with the result in patterns.
“I was really pleased with my
performance. This event always attracts a strong field and
there were more than 400 competitors from all around the UK
and Ireland.”
As well as following a rigorous
training schedule ahead of her forth coming trip to St
Petersburg, Claire has also been busy seeking sponsorship to
cover her travel costs after setting up her own official
website.
She has invited businesses to
advertise on a special virtual sponsor board, and said:
“Interest has been steady and the site has been more
successful than I had anticipated – companies from all over
the country have been willing to help financially, and
without them, travel to competitions would be difficult.”
For further
details or to sponsor Claire, visit
www.clairecrosbie.co.uk. |
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Claire's
in medal winning form
West Lothian News - 23 November 2006
TAEKWON-DO martial artist Claire Crosbie was in medal
winning form again at the UKTA British Championships last
weekend.
 Following
her recent medal success at the English Championships, she
continued her impressive form, taking the gold medal for
Blackbelt 4th degree patterns and silver for -57kg sparring.
The event
at the Ponds Forge International Sports Arena in Sheffield
attracted over 400 competitors from around the UK and
Ireland. Claire, 25 from Longridge, West Lothian said, "the
event always attracts a strong field of competition and I
was really pleased with my own performance. I narrowly
missed out on the gold for sparring, but was delighted to
make up for it with the result in my patterns."
Claire, a
4th degree, trains with Master Les Hutchison, 8th degree, at
his Taekwon-Do Academy in Whitburn. Her medal tally for
competitions in the UK this year alone now stands at eight,
but there will be no let up in her rigorous training
schedule as she prepares for her final competition of the
year - a trip to St Petersburg, Russia in December for the
Cup of Peter the Great.
In a bid to
find funding for her travel expenses, Claire has come up
with a novel idea for attracting sponsorship. After setting
up her own website, she has invited businesses across
Scotland to advertise on a "Sponsor Board" page within her
site. Claire said "the interest in the site has been
steady, and more successful than I had first anticipated.
There have been companies from all four corners of the
country willing to help financially, and without them,
travel to competitions would be difficult. I would like to
take this opportunity to thank them all for their support,
in particular to Combserve Ltd in Blackburn, R B F Hamilton
in Whitburn and Cleland Construction Limited in Cleland."
The need
for competition funding is always a continuous thing, and if
any business would like to add their names to the sponsor
board, they can visit my website www.clairecrosbie.co.uk. |
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PRESS
ARTICLES |
OCTOBER
2006 |
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Claire
grabs gold at English Championships
West Lothian News - 24 October 2006
A LONGRIDGE girl has picked up gold and
silver medals at the TaeKwon-Do English championships in Crawley.
Claire Crosbie won gold for patterns and
silver for the under 58kg sparring. Claire (25) has trained with Master Les
Hutchison, VIII degree for the past 15 years. "I would like to thank not only my
instructor for teaching me and coaching but the owner of R B F Hamilton
Musical Instrument and Repair shop in Whitburn who sponsored me to allow
me to go to this competition," said Claire. "In the next six months, I hope to attend
the British Championships in Sheffield, Russia in December and hopefully
Canada in February and am looking for sponsorship for these events." |
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Claire's raid over the border
The West Lothian Courier - 5 October 2006
 LONGRIDGE based taekwon-do
player Claire Crosbie was in
superb form at the UKTA
English championships last
month.
The West Lothian martial
artist won a gold medal in
the patterns and a silver
medal in the sparring at the
Crawley event.
Claire (pictured on the
podium at the championships)
trains with Master Les
Hutchison, 8th Dan, and is
currently a 4th Dan.
She’s been in taekwon-do
training for the last 15
years and in the next six
months plans to travel to
England (Sheffield),
Slovenia, Russia and Canada
to compete internationally.
She runs a taekwon-do class
at the Forth Parish Church
Hall on Tuesdays from 6-7pm
for juniors aged four to
11-years-old.
And Claire would like to
thank Robert Hamilton, owner
of RBF Hamilton Musical
Instruments and Repairs, for
his sponsorship in helping
to cover travel costs to
competitions.
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Claire Crosbie conquers rest
The Lanark Gazette - 12 October 2006
TAEKWON-DO
marvel Claire Crosbie starred at the UKTA English Open
Championships in Crawley on Saturday September 23, winning
patterns gold and sparring silver.
Claire (25), who
has trained for 15 years with renowned taekwon-do Master Les
Hutchison, 8th Dan, coaches youngsters aged four to 11 at a
Tuesday night class in Forth Parish Church Hall.
Fourth Dan Claire - who hopes to compete in Sheffield,
Slovenia, Russia and Canada over the next six months -
thanks R B F Hamilton Musical Instruments and Repairs owner
Robert Hamilton for offering sponsorship to help cover
travel costs.
Her next competitive outing will be in
Slovenia on October 14, when she reckons she has a good
chance of doing well in both the individual black belt
patterns and 51kg sparring. |
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Claire brings home medals
Lauren Meldrum, West Lothian Herald and
Post - 5 October 2006
 A CARER from West Lothian won two medals at a championship Tae Kwon Do
event in England.
Claire Crosbie from Longridge works full time as a carer but spends her
spare time training in the martial art.
The 25-year-old, who has been practising the sport for 15 years,
recently attended the UKTA English Open Championships in Crawley and
brought home a gold and silver medal.
Claire, happy with her result, said: "It was a good standard of
competition. I won the gold in the senior female black belt patterns
event and the silver in the senior female sparring event." And Claire can add her new medals to a growing collection. This year
alone she won two silver medals at the BITF Scottish Championships and a
silver and a gold medal at the BITF British Championships.
The Longridge woman has managed to rack up a staggering 16 gold medals,
15 silver medals and 8 bronze medals in national competitions since
1993.
Claire takes part in a combination of individual and group events in the
categories sparring and patterns. She has also been part of the Scottish
team at International events across the world.
The West Lothian woman trains five days a week with her coach, Master
Les Hutchison, at classes in Longridge, Forth and Whitburn and manages
to juggle her work with training. "If I have a few hours during the day I will try and fit in some time at
the gym," said Claire. "I've been training since I was ten and ever
since then I've loved it. It's only in the past few years that I've done
a lot more training and got more competitive about it but it's something
I enjoy so it doesn't feel as much work as it sounds."
"The agency I work for, the SCRT, are excellent at being flexible with
me so I don't find it too difficult to juggle everything."
Claire can add teaching Tae Kwon Do to her list of achievements after
starting classes last year for children. I teach kids aged 4-11 in Forth
as part of the same association that I train in myself," said Claire. "I
find it a really easy job because I enjoy it so much."
And Claire is
looking forward to the next set of Tae Kwon Do events this
year. She said: "I'm hoping to go to the 3rd Open
Presidential Cup in Slovenia next month and to Sheffield in
November. There is also the Cup of Peter the Great event in Russia in December
which I can compete in but it all depends on funding and sponsorship."
"My sponsor, R B F Hamilton Music Shop in Whitburn have been a
great help. They've helped with my travelling costs for the
past two years. It's quite expensive to take part in these
events. If any other local businesses in West Lothian would like to sponsor me
it would be a great help. To travel to events outside the UK can be very
difficult and any help would be really appreciated." |
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