Tom’s triumphant return to Teesside

Martial arts expert Tom Beedle returned from a prestigious competition in Florida with two World Championship medals.

The BA (Hons) Graphic Design student clinched a gold and bronze in the Tang Soo Do Association's World Championships.

Tom, 19, from Redcar, qualified for the event after winning a bronze, silver and gold at the European Championships in Munich.

He has been training in the Korean martial art of Tang Soo Do with Redcar's Northern Tang Soo Do Karate Club for the past six years.

Fantastic achievement for an elite athlete Tom is on our Elite Athlete Bursary Scheme, which helps the most talented athletes reach their potential both in their sporting career and academic studies.

The scheme provides a comprehensive support package, including:

• sports science support
• strength and conditioning coaching
• regular testing and monitoring.

Tom said: 'We get a lot of advice about training and take part in gym sessions at the University with other students on the scheme. We're all involved in different sports.'

Reflecting on Tom's success, Matthew Wright, Sports Development Officer, said: 'This is a fantastic achievement for Tom who has really engaged with the bursary scheme.

'With guidance from our support team Tom has been able to view his performance with real attention to detail, making positive changes to his nutritional intake and his lifestyle, as well as training really hard, both in the gym and on the technical elements of his sport.'

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