A Kingsbury Green Academy teacher who trained to become a kick-boxing instructor at the age of 52 has been taking her skills out into the community.
Patty Kelly, head of Religious Studies, Citizenship and PHSE at Calne’s Kingsbury Green Academy, part of the Ascend Learning Trust, decided four years ago that she needed to practice what she preached in terms of maintaining a healthy mind and body.
“We know that to keep mentally healthy it’s important to maintain physical fitness, sleep well, engage with people, take exercise and learn new skills,” said Patty.
“I realised I needed to follow my own advice and learn something completely new, and happened to see an advert for a class called Elite Ladies Kickboxing. I went along to try it, and the man who ran it – called Tim Benyon – was confident I could do it, despite being 52. And he was right – as soon as I hit that first focus pad I was hooked.“
Patty kept her Year 8 students up to date with her progress, and they gave her plenty of moral support.
“As teachers, we should be models for life-long learning,” she said. “At school, we are not just teaching students facts, we are giving them the skills and confidence to explore and try new experiences that can enhance their lives and those of others.
“I didn’t think a couple of years ago that kickboxing would help me with teaching, but it’s turned out to do exactly that. My students have seen me get fitter and pay more attention to nutrition, and I’ve fed back to them how it’s helped me.”
Within a year Patty became a trainee instructor at Corsham Elite Ladies Kickboxing (ELKB) and then progressed to assistant instructor. In January 2023, ELKB launched the Corsham Juniors Kickboxing, where Patty is the leading instructor. There are also Juniors groups in Chippenham and Calne.
“ELKB is aimed at all women of all sizes, ages and fitness levels,” she said. “One of the pupils in my tutor group has joined our ladies group already. I think students were wondering what on earth I was thinking of when I began doing this – and so did I.
“I didn’t consider myself physically fit, but it’s amazing how it soon improved my confidence, flexibility, balance and general health. I think as a teacher my job is to support students to cope with life outside of school as well as within it, and kickboxing really is a skill that can enhance your mental and physical health for life. And it’s great fun, too – what more could you want!”