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Girl power rules!
Girl power: The Parker family have all but the youngest one, gained black belts. They are, from left, Mum, Najmoenesa, 14 year old Afroze, 16-year-old Fatima and 17-year-old Raeesa with red tape blue belt 8-year-old, Farzanah, front
Girl power...
But the Parker family from Fulwood have found a new hobby that they are all involved in - well all except dad.
Najmoenesa Parker, 42, and her daughters took up taekwondo ten years ago and now they have all achieved the Black Belt grading.
Najmoenesa, Raeesa, 17, Fatima, 16 and Afroze, 14, are now working towards their second dan.
And eight-year-old Farzanah - who came along after the others started - is working towards the Black Belt as well. She is currently on the red tag, which means she is inbetween the Blue Belt and the Red Belt.
Najmoenesa, a teaching assistant, said: “I took my daughters after my husband suggested I take them and I wanted them to learn self defence.
“The first lesson was free and the instructor asked me to join in. I said no, I have never exercised before in my life, but she said why don’t you just have a go.
“When I took them back the next week she was so insistent, so I thought I would join in to get my kids going.”
Najmoenesa, who is the eldest in the class, said: “It keeps me fit, it keeps me going.
“I look forward to it.
“When we walk into the classroom even though it is me and my four daughters, each one if for themselves.
“This is something I’m doing for myself.”
Now though because the three eldest girls are the highest qualified in their class they have to fight with each other and their mum.
But Najmoenesa says they are still “one big happy family.”
Najmoenesa, who has recently graduated from UCLan, added: “It is quite interesting and quite exciting.
“It is hard work, but if you put your mind to it you get it eventually.”
Najmoenesa who lives in Fulwood with her daughters and husband Mohamed, 45, moved to Preston from South Africa ten years ago.
She said: “In this day and age you don’t usually find teenagers wanting to be with their mum.
“There’s been times when I’ve said ‘I’m too old for this’ I’m not going to carry on but they say to me ‘you can’t give up now.
“They are really encouraging and really supportive.
“It is really nice and really enjoyable to do it with my daughters.”
And whilst the challenge now is for Farzanah to work her way up to the Black Bell the teenagers and their mum are working for the next level.
But before that they are preparing for a charity run in Manchester in the New Year.
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Weather for Preston
Sunday 19 May 2013
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 10 C to 15 C
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