#120: Taekwondo for Turtles: Malta Taekwondo Community Sponsors Six Turtles

The Malta Taekwondo Association’s “Taekwondo for Turtles – Kicking for a Greener Future” initiative has concluded on a high note, with Malta’s Taekwondo community not only exceeding its original fundraising target, but also getting a first-hand look at the wildlife rehabilitation work their contributions are helping to support.

As part of the initiative, athletes, coaches, and families visited Nature Trust Malta, where they were welcomed by one of the organisation’s volunteers for an informative session on wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, and conservation.

While sea turtles were at the heart of the MTA campaign, participants quickly discovered that Nature Trust Malta’s work extends far beyond Malta’s marine wildlife.

Throughout the year, the organisation responds to wildlife in distress across a wide range of species. Hedgehogs account for a significant proportion of these rescues, alongside bats, snakes, lizards, birds and numerous other animals requiring assistance.

From Rescue to Rehabilitation

During the visit, the group learnt what happens from the moment an injured or distressed wild animal is rescued.

Participants were introduced to the rehabilitation process and the care required to give rescued animals the best possible chance of recovery and, wherever possible, eventual release back into the wild.

The educational session was followed by a tour of the rehabilitation facility, giving the Taekwondo community an opportunity to see some of this work first-hand.

Among the highlights for the athletes was the opportunity to see several sea turtles currently undergoing rehabilitation before their eventual release.

The group also learnt about some of the threats faced by sea turtles in Maltese waters and the types of injuries which can result in their admission for treatment.

These include becoming entangled in fishing lines, nets and other fishing equipment; swallowing hooks or other marine litter; shell damage caused by boats and propellers; and serious injuries which can result in damaged or missing flippers.

Seeing the turtles undergoing rehabilitation brought home an important part of the campaign's message: the consequences of human activity on wildlife are very real, but so too is our ability to make a positive difference.

Six Turtles Sponsored

When the Malta Taekwondo Association launched Taekwondo for Turtles, the original objective was to raise enough money to sponsor three to four turtles through Nature Trust Malta.

Each turtle sponsorship costs €30.

Thanks to the generosity of Malta's Taekwondo clubs, athletes and families, the campaign ultimately raised €190. That was enough for the Malta Taekwondo Association to officially sponsor six turtles – exceeding its original target by two.

The remaining contribution will continue to support the important conservation and rehabilitation work carried out by Nature Trust Malta.

More than the figure itself, however, the result demonstrates what can happen when a sporting community comes together behind a common cause. Individual contributions, regardless of size, combined to produce something tangible.

More Than Taekwondo

From the outset, Taekwondo for Turtles was intended to be about more than fundraising. It was an opportunity to show athletes – particularly the younger members of our community – that the principles practised inside the dojang have meaning outside it too.

Taekwondo teaches respect, discipline, and responsibility. Those values can influence how we treat our teammates and opponents, but they can also influence how we treat our communities, our environment and the wildlife with which we share it.

Through this initiative, our athletes were able to see that connection for themselves.

The Malta Taekwondo Association would like to thank Nature Trust Malta for welcoming and educating our group, as well as every affiliated club, athlete, coach, parent and family member who contributed to the campaign.

What began with the ambition of helping three or four turtles ended with six turtles sponsored, €190 donated and a Taekwondo community better informed about the wildlife living around us.