This is the amazing moment a nine-year-old double leg amputee who wears blades shows off her martial arts skills – in front of a blown away Taekwondo president.
Maisie Catt perfectly executes a pattern three Sam Jang routine which includes a front kick, middle punch and low block.
The footage was captured by her doting father, Jonathan, 38, a site supervisor, at last month’s World Taekwondo Championships in Manchester.
Maisie, who is a blue belt, and her family had been invited to attend the event as guests of World Taekwondo President Choue Chung after the pair first met in October last year.
Purely by coincidence, Maisie bumped into the president outside the arena who then proceeded to ask for a demonstration which was caught on film.
Maisie attends classes twice a week at Premier Taekwondo in Birkby near Huddersfield, West Yorks., and competes in Poomsae – which involves performing a set of Taekwondo moves.
She is quickly working her way through the belts and even trains once a month with the GB para Poomsae team although it’s not yet recognised as an Olympic category.
Her amazing progress comes following a difficult start to life when Maisie lost both legs after contracting meningitis as a baby.
She wore prosthetic legs until she was seven years old when funding for her blades became available through the NHS.
Maisie took up the sport in January last year and her proud mother Sharon, 42, from Mirfield, West Yorks., believes nothing will hold her back
She said: “We were on our way to the event and the president had come outside for a short break which is when my husband started filming.
“It was a coincidence that we bumped into each other. Afterwards, he thanked us for coming to the event and asked how Maisie was getting on.
“She did pattern three which is Sam Jang, it’s one of her favourites. They are really pleased for Maisie and are absolutely blown away.”
Maisie had to have her legs amputated as a baby – one above the knee and one below – due to her blood being poisoned by septicaemia.
She took up the sport last year after watching her brother Finlay, six, take part in lessons but has already shown a natural flair.
After just three months, Maisie was asked to attend a training session with the Para-Taekwondo talent pool and now trains with the squad once a month.
Para-Taekwondo is an adaptation of the sport for athletes with an impairment.
Since Maisie was given blades, Sharon believes her daughter’s life has been “turned around”.
She added: “Back when she was a baby after she had lost her legs, the thought of taking part in a martial part was definitely not in the top ten things we thought she would have done.
“When she goes to classes it’s amazing to see. She is treated like everyone else and just gets on with it. There is no special treatment which I think is a good thing.
“She can only do non-contact sparring, but she always had a new target to work towards.
“Nothing is stopping her, she is a determined young girl and I’m sure she will get her black belt. I don’t think it matters how long it takes, she will do it.
“She is a double amputee, to me it’s fantastic. To see Maisie love something so much is absolutely brilliant.
“She just wants to inspire other people. She wants others like her to go try anything.
“Anybody can do anything they set their mind too, in spite of any difficulties.”
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art with speciality head-height kicks, jumping and spinning kicks, and fast kicking techniques.
Competitors wear white robes and compete in sparring, breaking boards and self-defence techniques.
