Paralympic champion Matt Bush revealed he fought through sleepless nights and the demands of parenthood to win gold for Great Britain at the European Para-Taekwondo Championships in Munich.
The Welsh star clinched the K44 men’s +80kg title after defeating Croatia’s Ivan Mikulic in a thrilling final, just two months after the birth of his second child. Matt Bush said balancing elite-level preparation with family responsibilities made this year’s build-up one of the toughest of his career.
“It’s been a busy year. I’ve got my little boy now, I’ve got my little girl who’s two, so it’s full-on,” Bush told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.
The 35-year-old admitted that disrupted sleep had affected his recovery routines, which are crucial ahead of major competitions. However, Bush insisted he has learned to adapt to difficult situations throughout his career.
“You’re never going to have the perfect prep. On fight day, I’m going to get up, get my kit on, get out there and try to win,” he said.
Bush’s final against Ivan Mikulic turned into a dramatic contest after the Croatian fighter took the lead late in the match. The Briton responded with a flurry of attacks in the closing seconds to secure an 18-16 victory and claim the European crown.
“The first round I out-pointed him quite nicely, but then he changed his game plan. Seconds were counting down, he went ahead on points, then my coach gave me the nod to turn it up a bit,” Bush explained.
The triumph added another major title to Bush’s growing list of achievements in Para-taekwondo. The Welshman became Britain’s first male taekwondo world champion in 2019 and later won Paralympic gold at the Paris 2024 Games after overcoming a serious ACL injury that forced him to miss Tokyo 2020.
Bush was also selected as one of ParalympicsGB’s flagbearers during the closing ceremony in Paris, highlighting his status as one of Britain’s leading Paralympic athletes.
Elsewhere at the European Championships, fellow Welsh athlete Lauren Williams secured a silver medal in the women’s +73kg category after losing to Germany’s Lorena Brandl in the final. Bush praised the overall performance of the British squad, saying nearly every member of the team returned home with a medal.
The latest success further strengthens Bush’s reputation as one of the dominant figures in international Para-taekwondo ahead of future world and Paralympic events.
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