The Taieri community is getting behind the Mosgiel Taekwondo Club, which bagged 21 medals at the International Taekwondo South Island Regional Tournament in Christchurch on the weekend of May 2-3.
Jackie Gibson, mother of competitor Thomas Gibson, said the club was an ''inclusive and supportive'' one.
She and many other parents and friends had cheered on the club in Christchurch.
''The club is like a big family; the supporters are all friends and get behind every competitor.''
Club members came from different backgrounds and had different levels of experience.
''There are 6-year-old members and adult members and everyone helps everyone out.
''The coloured belts will support younger people who are just starting out.''
The skills the sport had taught her son included ''dedication, respect and self-discipline''.
Learning self-defence was also an important part of taekwondo, encouraging self-confidence, she said.
Competitors were divided into categories for the South Island Regional Tournament: male junior/senior, female junior/senior, male peewee/intermediate and female peewee/intermediate.
Events included patterns, power breaking, team power, special technique and team specialty. Significant achievements for the club at the South Island Regional Tournament included Lachlan Ellis being named best blue belt overall and Thomas winning two gold medals and one bronze medal.
About 40 club members train at the Taieri College Hall two or three times a week and the instructors volunteer their time.
Ms Gibson said anyone was welcome to join the club, regardless of their level of experience, and new members would receive their first month of training free.
Nationals will be held in Christchurch on the weekend of July 4-5, with three members of the Mosgiel Taekwondo Club competing: Thomas Gibson, Hannah Sime and Lachlan Ellis.
Results
Lachlan Ellis: Best overall blue belt, gold jun blue belt patterns, gold intermediate boys middleweight sparring, silver int men's colour belt special techniques, silver int men's power test.
Thomas Gibson: Gold male white belt patterns, gold peewee boys middleweight sparring, bronze peewee men's colour belt special technique.
Stella Hansen: Bronze female white belt patterns, silver peewee/int girls ltheavyweight sparring.
Hannah Mooney: Bronze peewee girls micro/lightweight sparring, silver peewee female power test.
Hannah Sime: Bronze yellow belt patterns female, bronze peewee/int girls ltheavyweight sparring, bronze int women's power test.
Linus Patterson: Bronze peewee boys middleweight sparring.
Mara Andrews: Silver red belt patterns jun/sen.
Bob Brown: Bronze adult green belt patterns, bronze men's colour belt power test.
Matthew Sime: Bronze peewee men's power test.
Rebekah Sime: Bronze peewee female power test.
Ada Patterson: Bronze peewee 10th Gup girls.
