A profoundly deaf six-year-old boy from High Wycombe recently struck gold at the British National Taekwondo Championships.
Ali Rafeeq is now the British taekwondo national champion in the individual junior male-paralympic category after picking up the gold medal in the 2021 championships.
His dad Qaiser said his son's achievements are "the success of all that are involved in his life".
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Ali attends Heathlands School in St Albans, a nationally renowned provision for deaf children which uses a 'Total Communication' approach.
Co-Headteacher Lesley Reeves Costi said: "Ali’s success shows that deaf children can achieve anything they put their mind to, that is always the belief at Heathlands School."
He attended the championships in Worcester with his club, the London Taekwondo Academy whose ethos and approach support individuals with special needs.
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The club’s technical director Grandmaster Yusuf Dildar said: "As an organisation we firmly believe in the potential of individuals with special needs and Ali’s success is just another testament to this.
"On the same weekend two other colleagues of Ali, one autistic and the other visually impaired also achieved gold medals."
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