A small taekwon-do club in Te Puna played a key role in New Zealand winning the ITF Taekwon-Do World Championships in Jesolo, Italy.
Black belts Frances Lloyd, 15, Maddison Black, 16, and Jade Gibson, 16, scored 12 medals between them, including multiple golds, to help New Zealand finish ahead of the sport's powerhouses of Romania, Argentina, Germany and Russia.
The three athletes train under the expert tutelage of instructors Gwyn Brown and Shaun Skedgwell at the Silla Taekwon-do club based out of the Te Puna Primary School Hall.
Brown, who attended the tournament as an international umpire, said their determination made the difference.
"It is never the best student who wins, it is always the most determined. They train extremely hard and they all came home with medals.