Warren Hansen was one of eight Australian Taekwondo athletes to compete at the Sydney 2000 Olympics – the first ever games to include Taekwondo as an official sport – where he acquitted himself well in the men's 80kg event.

While competing at the highest level of sport in front of a home crowd was obviously a career highlight, the 7th Dan Black Belt looks back fondly on the entire Olympics experience.

“There was so much excitement and hype leading up to the event,” he says. “The whole games experience itself was amazing – living in the village, training, and being amongst the best in their sport. One highlight was meeting Mohammed Ali for a photo and a few brief words, as he was always an idol of mine as a fighter.”

In fact, Hansen recalls that even the years approaching those Olympics were special.

“Lifelong friendships were formed over the four-year lead-up to the games, as we travelled around the world gaining invaluable experience,” he says.

Beyond the competition, the Sydney 2000 Olympics propelled Taekwondo into the spotlight, especially in Australia, according to Hansen.

“The 2000 Olympics really helped escalate sport in general, especially Taekwondo as Lauren won the Gold and there was a massive hype around starting a martial art,” he says. “This created more interest and more members for the Taekwondo community and clubs.”

Successful career change

During his time as an athlete – a career in which he spent 10 years as the undefeated National Middleweight Champion, won a Gold Medal at the 1999 US Open, and claimed a sensational Bronze Medal at the 1998 World Cup in Germany​ – Hansen trained predominantly at Halls Taekwondo with Martin Hall, who was also a trainer for Lisa O’Keefe, Paul Lyons, and Gold Medallist Lauren Burns at the 2000 Olympics.

“Halls Taekwondo and Martin Hall personally trained me and took time out to get me ready for the games, both mentally and physically. They were a great support during this period and over the 25 years I spent training and teaching at the centre,” Hansen says.

Having retired from Taekwondo as an athlete, Hansen made the challenging but ultimately rewarding career change to a Taekwondo coach and eventually a club CEO and Head Instructor. He was also an assistant coach for the Australian Taekwondo Team at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

“Transitioning from athlete to coach was a hard journey,” he explains. “There was no manual on how to do this, or much support for retired athletes. Looking back, it was a challenge to shift your day-to-day routine. After spending many years being told what to do, when to train, what to eat, etc., you are now left alone to make your own decisions. There was a sense of freedom but it was a challenge to rethink and recreate a new lifestyle.”

But Hansen certainly adapted and made a success of this new chapter. His club, Professional Taekwondo, was opened in Moonee Ponds, Victoria in 2012.

“We took a great risk in starting our own centre, but it was the best decision we have made. The centre has a strong family and community feel and has developed into this over the years. We are proud of what we have achieved and the knowledge we can continue to give,” he says.

“As a club owner now I have creative freedom to develop a life and business that I love through the sport of Taekwondo. I get rewarded by teaching all ages in the community and passing on my experience and knowledge to the next generation.”