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Sandra Beale
Sandra Beale has overcome cancer and heart problems to become the UK's top female Karate master at her discipline. More Details View Transcript
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For more on Sandra Beale's story, click here.
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JONATHAN ZINCKE reports.
Karate is a tough sport. But this woman, 41 year-old Sandra Beale, is heading to the top and has just become the highest ranked female in the country at her discipline. And what makes this even more remarkable is that she has done it after suffering two different forms of cancer and heart problems.'
SANDRA BEALE, 5th Dan in Tsuyoi Ryu: 'Life's certainly been throwing things at me certainly since I was 9, which is when my original cancer started, but I don't really see them as things to stop me. I see them as challenges to get over.
'I struggled more in the last few years I suppose, because I had severe septic arthritis when I was 14, which developed into osteoarthritis. With the first lot of cancer I had, I had a lot of chest surgery, so I have got quite delicate areas that can't be punched. I have also got a heart condition which stems from that, so again I have to be really careful. So yeah, it has been difficult but I have just had to do other things to compensate for it.'
At a recent ceremony she was awarded the title of Shihan, or Master, with a rank of Black Belt 5th Dan.
SANDRA BEALE: 'It's huge actually. Umm more than I ever expected to get, I suppose. It was an achievement just to get a Black Belt but having gone up the grades, it's a miracle that I got any of the next lot of grades with all the illnesses, so I'm half way which actually doesn't seem much when you think about it like that! I will probably be in my 90s when I get to the end!'
But for Sandra it has always been about teaching the younger generation and passing on her experience and knowledge, so that other might follow in her footsteps.
SANDRA BEALE: 'With dancing, I have been teaching dancing since I was 17... my dad's a dancing teacher as well, so I am used to teaching. In terms of teaching Karate; when I was an Orange Belt, Joe, my husband threw me into a class one day and said, "Do the warm-up" and I said "No, I am only an Orange Belt" and he said "Do it, or you are going to lose your grade", so that's what I did.'
ANON, Child 1: 'My favourite move is the roundhouse kick.'
ANON, Child 2: 'And my favourite is jump kick!'
SANDRA BEALE: 'In terms of children taking it up, I would say it gives them confidence, it is good to get rid of all their excess energy, which you can see they have quite a lot of! It helps them if they are being bullied at school, it teaches them teamwork. As they go up the grades, we also teach them leadership skills; they do an NVQ based children's coaching qualification when they get to a Purple Belt, which is the 4th Q. So they learn to teach as well and give other people their knowledge as well, which is great. I think it definitely worth doing that.'
ANON, Child 3 (on the left): 'I have been doing it just around about 2 years.'
ANON, Child 4 (on the right): 'And I, this year it's two years in November.'
JONATHAN ZINCKE, Kent TV: 'And um, are you enjoying it?'
Both children: 'Yes, yes'
JONATHAN ZINCKE: 'What do you like the best about Karate?'
ANON, Child 3: 'Probably our teachers.'
JONATHAN ZINCKE: 'Who's the best teacher?'
Child 3: 'Joe.'
JONATHAN ZINCKE: 'Does she scare you?'
Child 3: 'Just a little bit (laughter)!'
Karate is a tough sport. But this woman, 41 year-old Sandra Beale, is heading to the top and has just become the highest ranked female in the country at her discipline. And what makes this even more remarkable is that she has done it after suffering two different forms of cancer and heart problems.'
SANDRA BEALE, 5th Dan in Tsuyoi Ryu: 'Life's certainly been throwing things at me certainly since I was 9, which is when my original cancer started, but I don't really see them as things to stop me. I see them as challenges to get over.
'I struggled more in the last few years I suppose, because I had severe septic arthritis when I was 14, which developed into osteoarthritis. With the first lot of cancer I had, I had a lot of chest surgery, so I have got quite delicate areas that can't be punched. I have also got a heart condition which stems from that, so again I have to be really careful. So yeah, it has been difficult but I have just had to do other things to compensate for it.'
At a recent ceremony she was awarded the title of Shihan, or Master, with a rank of Black Belt 5th Dan.
SANDRA BEALE: 'It's huge actually. Umm more than I ever expected to get, I suppose. It was an achievement just to get a Black Belt but having gone up the grades, it's a miracle that I got any of the next lot of grades with all the illnesses, so I'm half way which actually doesn't seem much when you think about it like that! I will probably be in my 90s when I get to the end!'
But for Sandra it has always been about teaching the younger generation and passing on her experience and knowledge, so that other might follow in her footsteps.
SANDRA BEALE: 'With dancing, I have been teaching dancing since I was 17... my dad's a dancing teacher as well, so I am used to teaching. In terms of teaching Karate; when I was an Orange Belt, Joe, my husband threw me into a class one day and said, "Do the warm-up" and I said "No, I am only an Orange Belt" and he said "Do it, or you are going to lose your grade", so that's what I did.'
ANON, Child 1: 'My favourite move is the roundhouse kick.'
ANON, Child 2: 'And my favourite is jump kick!'
SANDRA BEALE: 'In terms of children taking it up, I would say it gives them confidence, it is good to get rid of all their excess energy, which you can see they have quite a lot of! It helps them if they are being bullied at school, it teaches them teamwork. As they go up the grades, we also teach them leadership skills; they do an NVQ based children's coaching qualification when they get to a Purple Belt, which is the 4th Q. So they learn to teach as well and give other people their knowledge as well, which is great. I think it definitely worth doing that.'
ANON, Child 3 (on the left): 'I have been doing it just around about 2 years.'
ANON, Child 4 (on the right): 'And I, this year it's two years in November.'
JONATHAN ZINCKE, Kent TV: 'And um, are you enjoying it?'
Both children: 'Yes, yes'
JONATHAN ZINCKE: 'What do you like the best about Karate?'
ANON, Child 3: 'Probably our teachers.'
JONATHAN ZINCKE: 'Who's the best teacher?'
Child 3: 'Joe.'
JONATHAN ZINCKE: 'Does she scare you?'
Child 3: 'Just a little bit (laughter)!'
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