A Catholic nun, named Sister Linda Sim, age 67, has won a gold medal in Taekwondo. She learned the art as a teen taekwondo for self defense. She is a fifth-dan black belt holder.
"I have always been petite and small-framed. If I can run and kick, I don't have to carry a weapon to defend myself," said 67-year-old Sister Linda, as she is known, who is about 1.5m tall and weighs less than 50kg.
Even after she joined the religious order of the Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood (FMDM), 43 years ago, she continued to practice Taekwondo.
She was asked if there was anything wrong with martial arts and religious life and answered: "Poomsae (a sequence of movements in taekwondo) is an art form and to me, it is like a dance. It is not violent and the (world authority) World Taekwondo's motto is 'peace is more precious than triumph'.
"And St Francis said the prayer 'Make me a channel of your peace'. Taekwondo enables me to reach out to people in a non-church language," said Sister Linda. She explained that Jesus is her 1st love.
"I have always been petite and small-framed. If I can run and kick, I don't have to carry a weapon to defend myself," said 67-year-old Sister Linda, as she is known, who is about 1.5m tall and weighs less than 50kg.
Even after she joined the religious order of the Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood (FMDM), 43 years ago, she continued to practice Taekwondo.
She was asked if there was anything wrong with martial arts and religious life and answered: "Poomsae (a sequence of movements in taekwondo) is an art form and to me, it is like a dance. It is not violent and the (world authority) World Taekwondo's motto is 'peace is more precious than triumph'.
"And St Francis said the prayer 'Make me a channel of your peace'. Taekwondo enables me to reach out to people in a non-church language," said Sister Linda. She explained that Jesus is her 1st love.
She became the first woman from Singapore to win a gold medal in the World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships, a world-level competition, in South Korea, according to Singapore Taekwondo Federation (STF) acting president David Koh.
Sister Linda won gold over six other athletes in the over 65 years of age category for women.
"I felt on top of the world as I have reached a major milestone in my taekwondo journey. I felt great as this is the first time Singapore has won a gold medal and I also felt a great sense of gratitude to God," she said.
Sister Linda's childhood dream was to be a soldier or a police officer, but she was told that she was too small.
She said: "I went to all the parties and did all the sports, but there was an emptiness in me. I kept feeling this stirring that God was calling me and I only found peace after I joined the sisters."
At first, her mother did not accept her decision and only accepted her becoming a nun a decade later.
Sister Linda spent 20 years overseas - 17 years in England in a variety of roles in the convent and three years as a hospital administrator in Zimbabwe.
She was asked her to teach hospital children taekwondo.
Since her first competition in 2011, she has competed in more than 25 international competitions and won more than 30 medals, including a bronze medal in the 2018 World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships.
She now coaches children in the sport on Saturdays, as she loves interacting with children.
Edited from Strait Times and BBC
Sister Linda won gold over six other athletes in the over 65 years of age category for women.
"I felt on top of the world as I have reached a major milestone in my taekwondo journey. I felt great as this is the first time Singapore has won a gold medal and I also felt a great sense of gratitude to God," she said.
Sister Linda's childhood dream was to be a soldier or a police officer, but she was told that she was too small.
She said: "I went to all the parties and did all the sports, but there was an emptiness in me. I kept feeling this stirring that God was calling me and I only found peace after I joined the sisters."
At first, her mother did not accept her decision and only accepted her becoming a nun a decade later.
Sister Linda spent 20 years overseas - 17 years in England in a variety of roles in the convent and three years as a hospital administrator in Zimbabwe.
She was asked her to teach hospital children taekwondo.
Since her first competition in 2011, she has competed in more than 25 international competitions and won more than 30 medals, including a bronze medal in the 2018 World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships.
She now coaches children in the sport on Saturdays, as she loves interacting with children.
Edited from Strait Times and BBC
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