Ex-Canberra United coach Heather Garriock will take the reins of Taekwondo Australia as chief executive officer in a major shift away from the round ball game.
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The former W-League coach will replace John Gradisar in the role on November 1 following an "extensive national search" after leaving Canberra United at the end of last season.
Garriock says she is ready to take on a new challenge centred on "leading and thinking", with officials joining forces with Boxing Australia and Judo Australia to deliver a new combat sport high performance entity.
It is anticipated the focal point of the new partnership will be on high performance and delivering international success leading into 2021 Olympic and Paralympic games.
"It is different from football, it is a non-traditional sport, but my role is all about leading and thinking, I have done plenty of research," two-time Olympian Garriock said.
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"I was at the Olympics in 2000, it is the 20-year anniversary of our first gold medal in Taekwondo, I was in attendance when Lauren Burns claimed gold.
"We are in the process of aligning with Boxing Australia and Judo Australia which will be beneficial for all parties.
"I believe we can all collaborate and build towards a common goal; it will be a huge bonus for all of us and it has already been approved by Sport Australia.
"My daughter is already doing taekwondo, it is a sport for all ages and all skill levels, it is a terrific activity for all.
"I will look to not only achieve results at both the Olympics and Paralympics, but also look to the grassroots and promote the sport in a good light."
Taekwando Australia chair Raff Di Renzo dubbed Garriokc as the obvious pick.
"After an extensive national search, we are pleased to secure Heather for this role, her leadership acumen, coupled with extensive experience in elite sports made her the clear choice," Di Renzo said.
"Over the past three years, John has overseen increased funding and fostered initiatives such as the high-performance program."
