Martin Stamper British taekwondo athlete Date of Birth: 21.08.1986 Country: Great Britain

1. Martin Stamper - British Taekwondo Athlete
2. Early Life and Sports Career
3. Achievements
4. Olympic Dream and Role Models
5. Life Beyond Taekwondo

Martin Stamper - British Taekwondo Athlete

Martin Stamper is a British taekwondo athlete who gained recognition as a bronze medalist in the men's under 68 kg category at the 2011 World Taekwondo Championships held in Gyeongju, South Korea. He also represented the United Kingdom in the 2012 Olympic Games in London, where he narrowly missed out on a bronze medal, losing to Afghan athlete Rohullah Nikpai.

Early Life and Sports Career

Born on August 21, 1986, in Liverpool, England, Martin Stamper developed a passion for taekwondo at the young age of six. Encouraged by his mother, he joined a local sports club and immediately chose taekwondo as his discipline. Alongside taekwondo, Stamper also played tennis and football. In football, he played as a central defender, although he had a personal preference for playing on the right flank.

Achievements

Throughout his career, Stamper achieved numerous accolades in taekwondo. His achievements include a silver medal at the European Junior Taekwondo Championships in 2001 and a silver medal at the European Taekwondo Championships held in Rome, Italy in 2008. He became the champion of the United Kingdom eight times, with two of those victories achieved as a junior. In 2011, he won two gold medals at the US Open and the German Open, respectively. Stamper's most notable achievement was winning the bronze medal at the 2011 World Taekwondo Championships.

Olympic Dream and Role Models

Martin Stamper's ultimate dream was to win a medal at the London Olympics. He was one of only four taekwondo athletes representing the United Kingdom at the Games. While he fell slightly short of his goal, he still considers it an honor to have competed on such a prestigious stage. Stamper's idol among British athletes is Sir Steve Redgrave, who held the record for the most Olympic medals in academic rowing for a long time until it was surpassed by cyclist Chris Hoy. Within the taekwondo community, Stamper holds great respect for his compatriot Paul Green, the coach of the British national taekwondo team.

Life Beyond Taekwondo

Martin Stamper is a proud father and resides in Manchester with his partner Amy and their daughter Ava. Once his taekwondo career comes to an end, Stamper aspires to become a professional poker player in addition to pursuing a coaching role. He believes that taekwondo has evolved over the years, with changing rules and increased competition, making it more exciting and entertaining for the audience.