Stevenson Determined to Win Olympic Gold Despite Heartbreaking Personal Tragedy

In May this year, Sarah Stevenson claimed her third World Championship gold medal and with it, reaffirmed her place as the most successful and decorated British Taekwondo athlete of all time.

Her achievement on its own is impressive but the circumstances in which she won the title makes it utterly remarkable.

Having recently got married, and with the 2010 European title under her belt, Stevenson’s world came crashing down in January when her mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer.  If the 29-year-old thought the nightmare couldn’t possibly get any worse, a tumour was discovered in her father’s brain in April.

Taekwondo firmly took a back seat as she focused all her time and efforts on her family, training sparingly whenever she could.

“I didn’t train a lot at all, if I’m honest,” admitted Stevenson when we spoke at the 'Team 2012' introduction in June. “The Worlds (Championships) were in May and bad things started to happen in January when mum got ill. When that happened I couldn’t even go to training, I couldn’t go to the gym. Mentally I just couldn’t do it.

“Then my dad got ill just a few weeks before the Worlds. We found out he had a brain tumour so it was really difficult.

“When I was training I had to really go for it and try to get the most out of it. I suppose it worked though because I did really well and won gold.”

The 2008 Olympic bronze medalist explained how it was her personal suffering that allowed her to succeed in Korea, by putting Taekwondo into some much needed perspective.

“I suppose you wouldn’t expect anyone to go and do what I did, going through what I am going through,” Stevenson said. “But I think in some ways it helped me because I didn’t really care who was there or how things worked out.

“I was just going to go for it and that helped me as nothing was going to be worse than the situation at home. What was one little World Championships going to do?

“That’s the mentality I went with and it really helped.”

Competing at any level in such unimaginable circumstances would provide a challenge most would struggle to cope with but Stevenson’s ability to channel her focus is what helps to set her apart as an elite athlete and a world champion.

“It’s good to have something to take my mind off it but at the moment my focus is on my family,” she stated. “My Taekwondo is still ticking over, I’m keeping fit and injury free so when I need to switch into 'Sarah the athlete' then I will be ready.

“It’s really difficult but when I need to switch on then I will do my best to do that.

“I hope to compete in quite a few competitions before the Olympics and I really hope I can but things happen that you can’t help."

Next summer, Stevenson will be amongst an elite group of British athletes, including the likes of Sir Chris Hoy, Jessica Ennis and Phillips Idowu, who are considered genuine gold medal hopefuls.

And while the excitement and anticipation of London 2012 was clearly evident when the four-time European champion was asked about performing at the Olympics, thoughts of her parents were never far from her mind.

"People have been asking me recently if I have imagined myself at the top of the podium in London," Stevenson revealed. "I think everyone naturally does that sometimes and I must admit I was doing that at the Worlds, imagining how I would feel if I won gold.

"If I use the same mentality I had at the World Championships where success or failure, ultimately, didn't matter, then nothing can really hurt me.

“Having my parents there would mean more to me than anything. To have them supporting me would mean more than any gold medal.”

Tragically, in the time since the 'Team 2012' afternoon, Sarah's father Roy passed away. Paying tribute to her father, she described him as a "true champion."

Before Roy's death, Stevenson explained how she feels blessed to have a great support network to help her through what she described as "the worst time of my life" and how she uses her parents' strength as her inspiration.

“It’s difficult but I’m lucky that I’ve got a great psychologist and we work really hard," she said.

“I get a lot of support and skills to try to cope with it. I feel like I’ve got a switch in my head where one day I could be crying and wanting to go home, then I’m there to fight and win.

“I’m going to try my best and gold is what I want."

Team 2012 is the Official support programme for British athletes striving to be selected for Team GB and ParalympicsGB in 2012. Presented by Visa, it helps to raise funds to support 1,200 athletes who are in training to be selected for the Olympics to be selected for the Olympic and Paralympic teams which will represent Great Britain & Northern Ireland at the London 2012 Games.

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