Nurse Annabel is Going for Gold

Caring nurse Annabel Carlton is getting ready to swap her uniform for a black belt Tae Kwondo outfit as she prepares to go for gold at the World Martial Arts Games being held in Norwich.

Annabel, who is a nurse at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, already holds three golds, two silvers and a bronze from last year’s world games that were held in Canada. “It was an amazing experience held in the Olympic Ora Stadium. I felt the closest to the Olympics I will ever get.”

The 25 year old has been training since she was 14. “I was never going to be a ballet dancer, I tried martial arts and really liked it.”

Last year she gained her black belt while writing her dissertation at the UEA. Now she is a qualified nurse working in the gastroenterology unit at the hospital helping consultants who carry out endoscopies.

When she is not working Annabel devotes at least six hours a week to her training ready to join hundreds of martial arts athletes from all over the world who will come to Norwich for the games on August 27th. She will be competing in her category of 18 to 40 year olds.

“I am hoping for another two golds but Germany have some really good competitors that we were up against last year.”
She says there is another bonus to her chosen sport. “Nothing phases me and I think it’s down to my training. It gives you self discipline and continually inspires me to do better. It gives me an outlet for my stress,” she explained.

Earlier this summer she married Billy, who also does Tae Kwondo but is now concentrating on kick boxing.