The Athlete’s Studio : Aaliyah Powell

The Athlete’s Studio is an interview series that creates a virtual space where athletes step beyond the arena to explore the artistry behind their craft. In candid conversations, they share personal insights into their sporting journeys, creative passions, and the ways sport and culture intersect. From performance to self-expression, The Athlete’s Studio shines a light on athletes as innovators, storytellers, and makers of culture.

Director - Eugene Kim

Photographer - Elliot Huntley Wongwai

Stylist - Sarah Salo

Hand Printed & Scanned - Chan Photographic

Our guest today is Aaliyah Powell, the rising star of British Taekwondo whose path from family dance floors to global arenas is marked by resilience, creativity, and an unshakeable sense of self. At 22, she’s navigated multiple weight categories, conquered injuries, and forged a brand that blends authentic self-expression with peak athletic performance.

When did you first get into Taekwondo and what is the correlation between dancing and the sport?

I first got into Taekwondo when I was nine. One of my sisters competed in athletics for England and trained at the EIS in Sheffield alongside Jessica Ennis, while my older sister played netball. Watching them, I wanted something of my own. During the summer holidays, my cousin received a leaflet for a Taekwondo taster session. I went along to watch, and after seeing her train, I asked my mum if I could join the following week. At my very first session, the instructor told me, “If you carry on, you’ll be world champion one day.” That moment motivated me to give it my all. Growing up, dance was also a big part of my family, my mum and sisters were dancers, and we often danced together at gatherings. But as my sisters shifted toward sports, I followed, and that’s how my journey with Taekwondo began.

Dance is such a big part of your family; do you feel like it’s helped you become better at this sport?

I think dance helped me in ways people might not expect. It wasn’t about “training” in the traditional sense, but about being part of a community. Every week I was surrounded by other dancers, learning routines, working on steps, and building toward a performance together. That experience carried over into Taekwondo, it taught me discipline, teamwork, and the feeling of pulling something together as a group. In terms of fighting, I think it influenced my style too. I like to change distance a lot, and I’m able to move my body fluidly, which I trace back to dance. More than anything, though, it’s about what I love. I still dance all the time, in the gym, at home, anywhere there’s music. My coach even nicknamed me “Happy Feet” years ago because of it.

So it taught you how to follow structure and just be confident around people.

Yeah, it taught me confidence and finding a group of people where you all have the same, like, stress and that kind of thing, friends.

It’s a great activity and a very fun one as well. So, when you started, you were still a kid, right? Did you jump straight into sparring?

No, At first, I hated the fighting side of Taekwondo. For gradings, I would do poomsae and pad drills, and while I didn’t love them, I appreciated having small goals to work toward, like earning the next belt. Sparring, however, terrified me, I was so afraid of getting kicked that I’d just backpedal across the gym. My coaches eventually pushed me through it, and as I got hit more, I also learned how to deal with it. Once I developed the tools to defend myself and figure out how I wanted to fight, my confidence grew. From that point on, sparring shifted from being my biggest fear to the part of Taekwondo I enjoyed the most.

What was your first bigger competition and how did that go?

I think I did my first national championships in 2013, which was my first bigger comp, and that was in Manchester. I hadn’t been sparring for that long — maybe a year — and I was still terrified. And then I did my first national championship. I remember we were in Manchester and I’m from Huddersfield, so we were getting ready to go in the car and I said to my parents, “I’m gonna win today. I feel like I’m gonna win today.” And that’s when I won my first national title. But it was just so new, I wasn’t even in the GB system yet, so I felt like an outsider. Out of nowhere I just… I didn’t know how the system worked across ages, I just knew it was in the Olympics. That pushed me off the deep end into sparring.

So you have all of the belts by now or did you just put that off to fight?

I got to second Dan, black belt, but then I just stopped because I didn’t train for gradings anymore.

Before the big events, how do you think they built you up psychologically for the bigger stage?

I think it was the Junior World Championships in 2018. Winning that and being junior champion; that’s when things started to change for me, where I started to actually think I could do this seriously. Until then, I’d wanted to win the Olympics since I was ten, but I didn’t truly believe it could happen. After Junior Worlds, I realised I could win at the highest level and that gave me real confidence.

Was it around the Junior Worlds or the Senior World Championships that you thought, “This is what I want to dedicate myself to”?

Growing up, I missed school and friends to compete and train, but it was Senior Worlds in 2019, my first senior competition at 16, that cemented it. I got bronze, became the youngest GB athlete ever to medal at Senior Worlds, and got offered a full-time training move to Manchester right after finishing school.

What colleges were you planning to go to and what did you want to study?

I was going to Huddersfield New College. I wanted to study biomedicine because I’ve always loved biology. I was torn between that and criminal psychology. This September I planned to start forensic psychology but decided it wasn’t the right time; education has to feel meaningful. With online learning now, I can pursue those interests without a full degree immediately. I’ve also learned Spanish because my coach is Cuban and I have friends in Spain.

Do you feel the mental stimulation from your studies helps your competition?

Yeah, it’s crucial. I’m a tactical fighter; strategy, game-planning, psychology are key to my style. Curiosity and mental challenges keep me sharp on and off the mat.

You achieved success very young; how did you handle that pressure? And you also had a major knee injury; how did you cope?

Getting successful early created real pressure. Then in October 2019 I tore my meniscus just months into the full-time programme. I struggled for a year; I felt like a white belt again, couldn’t control basic kicks, and required two surgeries. That taught me resilience, patience, and confirmed this is what I want. It also gave me psychological tools for injury and expectation.

You’ve competed across multiple weight categories; how did you adjust your training and nutrition?

Mostly it was natural as I matured. I’m proud to succeed in multiple categories; few can do that. My style, athleticism, strategy, body and tactics adapted. At 22, I’m moving towards a natural peak physicality.

You partner with Nike and Red Bull; how did those endorsements come about and how do they reflect and align with who you are?

I only work with brands that authentically represent me. I think for me like what I’m doing and who I want to work with and all these things have to really represent just me and who I am. I’ve always felt that I don’t want to get put in a box; “you’re just an athlete” or “she’s just that taekwondo girl.” There are different facets to me and who I am, and I think that’s reflected in the partnerships that I’ve had. My partnerships have to reflect the different elements of my identity. Nike’s such a huge brand, and I had them written on my whiteboard in my room when I was young - they blend sport, culture, lifestyle, and fashion in a way that speaks to every side of me. Red Bull shares my energy and creative drive; from the moment we connected, it felt like an extension of my personality and ambition.

What creative passions anchor you beyond Taekwondo?

Creative pursuits for me have always been about authenticity and self-expression. My ambitions stretch beyond sponsorships into fashion design. I want to go more into the fashion industry and to be able to have a brand that really represents that and that is mine, and that’s kind of the legacy after sport. So many different interests and passions, streetwear, sportswear, high fashion, I want it to be all put together. I want it to be at the intersection of sportswear and streetwear and self-expression and identity and high fashion, and basically to have duality. It’s about duality: performance and artistry coming together in every piece I create.  That duality also extends into community advocacy. I’m passionate about working with young people, especially girls and women in sport, to create support systems, workshops, and mentorship opportunities. I want to show them what their options are, what they can do, and who they can become. I’ve got ADHD, and it fuels another creative outlet for me. Sketching collections, directing photo shoots, or planning workshops remind me that I’m more than a medal tally. My artistry and advocacy keep me grounded.

How has Taekwondo shaped your core values and sense of self?

Taekwondo gave me confidence, discipline, community, and pushed me out of my comfort zone. Travelling, meeting people from different cultures, and overcoming challenges showed me what I value: integrity, authenticity, and resilience.

Do you feel a responsibility as a role model, especially as a young Black woman in a male-dominated martial art?

Success brings visibility; you can’t opt out. I don’t set out to be anyone’s hero, but I know young people especially women of colour need to see someone who looks like them thriving. That motivates me to stay real and share my struggles.

When the crowds fade and the lights go off, what anchors you to who you are beyond this sport?

My people, my family and friends who knew me before any medal. And my creative pursuits, learning to play instruments, discovering fashion and making art, those remind me I’m more than an athlete.

Aaliyah’s story is still unfolding. As she eyes LA 2028, she carries with her every routine learned in a childhood dance class, every scar from injury and surgery, and every spark of creativity that keeps her endlessly curious. Her next chapter is bound to redefine what we thought possible.