I met Tammy a few years ago when she commissioned me to take some pictures for her site. That’s when I discovered the fascinating world of hapkido, a Korean martial art, which Tammy has been practising for over 30 years now. Since then we’ve worked together on a video for Women’s Sport Trust, which Tammy co-founded last year and which has gained an incredible momentum and backing from lots of prominent supporters.
What I didn’t know until recently, was Tammy’s back story which undoubtedly had a huge influence on her sporting career, her achievements and desire to empower other women around her.
And that’s the story I tried to capture in this very short, 90-second video I created for a global competition devoted to awe-inspiring women.
In a way, it’s a shame I only had a minute and a half, as the story – as you can probably imagine – is far more complex and it would be great to be able to delve into it a bit more.
But still, I’m glad Tammy said yes to my request to film her and I was hugely privileged to witness her classes and see how fantastic she is as a hapkido master, champion of women in sport and simply as a strong, funny, human and hugely inspirational leader.
Here’s my 90-second portrait of Tammy Parlour.