|
Taekwondo Gold Medallist Lauren Burns Caned By Coach
Transcript of interview with Lauren Burns and Mother Maggie Burns
|
LAUREN: The first time I went to Korea was just such an experience.
I was running with one of the younger girls and I was sort of helping
her, and we were sort of at the back, 'cause she had an injury, and
we were running around, and we got to the end last. And the coach
said, "OK, get down in push-up position." And I thought,
"Oh, no, push-ups." And then he had this big bamboo stick,
thick with welts on it, and he just cracked it just over the bottom
of our buttocks, on the top of our hamstring. And the pain - I've
just never felt pain like that. So I got 10.
|
 |
 |
MAGGIE: This is my baby who has never,
ever had so much as a slap on the bottom, and here she's being beaten
with a bamboo cane. I could not believe it.
LAUREN: It was funny, because we got to Korea and we were all, like,
"Yeah! Everything's great! We're doing really well and we're
matching it up with the top-class fighters." And I've still got
my diary entries. And then it's like, "We got hit. I hate this
place. It's terrible, it's horrible." And I just felt completely
demoralised. |
LAUREN: You know, they had this philosophy
of, if they hit you, "I'll try and break the stick," you
know, clench yourself so that you're always trying to compete against
the stick, break the stick, run faster, run harder - all of those
things.
|
 |
|
