Clare Hall congratulates student Adham El Shazly on his outstanding achievements in Taekwondo over recent years, representing both the University of Cambridge and Great Britain in national and international competition.

Supported by Clare Hall through the Blues Award, Seddon Fund, and University Sports Trialists Award, Adham’s accomplishments include winning two gold medals at the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) National Championships, becoming a Varsity winner, and competing for Team GB at the European University Championship in Warsaw in August 2025. He was also shortlisted for the University of Cambridge Sportsperson of the Year Award and received a Full Blue in 2025.

Reflecting on his journey, Adham explained that he had originally planned to retire from Taekwondo before beginning his PhD at Clare Hall, having stepped away from the sport for more than four years. However, encouragement from friends at Clare Hall and from Dr Holly Hedgeland, the College’s Senior Tutor, inspired him to return to training during the final years of his doctorate.

“The Cambridge Taekwondo Club instantly became another family,” he said. “Our phenomenal and ever-enthusiastic coach, Matt Fagg, soon got me back into competitive shape and set an ambitious goal: to qualify for the European Games within a year’s time.”

Under Matt’s guidance, Adham and his teammates travelled across the country to attend training camps and work with Team GB coaches and athletes. This dedication led to major competitive success, including becoming the number one seed in his category for two consecutive years.

Adham also spoke warmly about the support network around him throughout his sporting journey. “Being a student-athlete means more than any result,” he reflected. “I have invaluable memories of driving up with Clare Hall friends to competitions, or them timing my runs at the track; being carried up the stairs by my housemates in Elmside after coming home with somewhat of a broken leg; being always on the road with coach Matt with whom I’m grateful to have built a special bond; and friends from Cambridge coming to cheer us on in Poland.“

He added that none of these achievements would have been possible without Clare Hall’s financial and personal support, as well as additional assistance from the Cambridge Sports Centre through the Eric Evans Trust.

Although now retired from competition, Adham continues to stay involved in the sport by helping to coach children at a local Taekwondo Club in Cambridge.

We congratulate Adham once again on these remarkable achievements, both on and off the mat. We are incredibly proud to have supported his journey and to celebrate the dedication, resilience, and sense of community that his story reflects so strongly within the College.