Agency . Samyuktha Narayanan is an inspiration to fellow kids in Madurai, India, encouraging them to engage in sports.
On 14 August 2024, she became the world’s youngest Taekwondo instructor, aged just seven years and 270 days old!
Samyuktha is following in the footsteps of her mum and dad, Shruthy and Narayanan, who run Madurai Taekwondo Academy. And not only does she take after her parents’ passion for teaching, but also their love for record-breaking.
Shruthy was the first female to set the record for the most full contact elbow strikes in one minute using alternate elbows (211; now broken), and Narayanan’s current record collection includes most flaming concrete blocks broken in 30 seconds (29) and most marble slabs broken with a single kick (seven).
In 2020, the couple also set a record together for the most martial arts kicks by a pair in one minute (mixed): 154 (now broken).
For as long as Samyuktha can remember, it has been her dream to claim a Guinness World Records title.
She told us: “My father and mother are my biggest inspirations. I used to admire [their] Guinness World Records certificates hanging on the walls in our home.
“It was my goal to achieve a GWR title and hang my certificate on the same wall.”
Samyuktha started Taekwondo when she was just three years old, and Narayanan has been her coach ever since.
She remembers going to the dojo with her dad and watching in awe as the older students practised their kicks.
One day, eager to try this for herself, Samyuktha asked her dad to hold the target pad for her, and the rest is history. Within five years, the young star worked her way up the grading system, progressing from her white belt to her black belt.
To achieve her black belt, Samyuktha had to run 5 km (3.1 mi), consistently stick to a workout plan and learn the entire Taekwondo syllabus. Despite being the youngest student in the cohort, Samyuktha confidently proved she was capable.
Samyuktha’s belt was issued by the World Taekwondo Headquarters in Korea, where she will be visiting later this year to show the grandmasters her official GWR certificate.
Now equipped with her black belt, Samyuktha trains for two hours a day and has added teaching into her industrious schedule.
She explained: “I wake up early in the morning and start my training with the other students.
“I do my homework as soon as I come home [from school]. Then I take some rest and go to the dojo for coaching along with my dad in the evening.
“I feel proud of myself standing as an instructor before kids of my age,” the seven-year-old shared. “Sometimes I also learn from them.
“After I achieved my GWR title, I received appreciations from my friends, family and teachers. My photos and videos were published in the newspaper and [shown on] television,” Samyuktha told us. “I felt like a star in my city.”
Reflecting on his daughter’s journey, Narayanan said: “I am very happy to see her growth.
“After becoming an instructor, she has become more responsible and disciplined.
“Guinness World Records has been her motivation,” he added. “By seeing me and her mom achieving records, she started to learn Taekwondo with more interest.”
Looking to the future, Samyuktha wants to earn more GWR titles and grow her collection of National Taekwondo Championship medals. She also hopes to represent India at the Olympics and become a police officer.
One thing for sure is that Samyuktha will continue kicking through challenges and grasping success in whatever she does.
