Julie Roth
29 May, 2025
Sport

Newport Pagnell Taekwondo athlete is awarded top martial artist honour

.Newport Pagnell Taekwondo athlete Julie Roth is celebrating after being named Top Martial Artist at the awards evening for The UK Martial Arts Hall of Fame

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During the event in Doncaster Julie - a 4th Degree Black Belt In the Olympic style of Taekwondo - meet the Rhee brothers, Cynthia Rothrock and Bill Wallace, who are legends from the Martial Arts awards.

Julie Roth
Julie Roth Credit: Me

Proud Julie said: "I have been training and competing for 20 years after I started Taekwondo in my first year of university at The University of Gloucestershire studying Sport and Exercise Sciences with Psychology. After I graduated with my degree, I continued to train and gained my Black Belt and just 13 days later, I was on a plane to my very first international competition where I made the medal podium.

I have won many medals at local, national and international level. I am X5 British National Champion. I have won X2 Silver and X1 Bronze at The World Championships. I am competing at my third World Championships in September 2025 where I hope to medal again. Training is in full swing for that and I am giving it my all.

I never expected to be nominated for an award and was so shocked and very humbled to be awarded and inducted into The UK Martial Arts Hall of Fame. I am so grateful for my support team, my coaching team both in the UK and in France (where I train with the very best coaches in the world and have done since I was a white belt) and physio team. 

"I couldn't have done any of this without my team working in the background supporting me, helping me, believing in me and cheering me on. I have had some very tough and heartbreaking challenges in my personal life over the past 18 months but I've kept going and never given up. Hard work always pays off."