Our Story
Quest has been educating, entertaining and inspiring students for over 35 years, and is now one of the most established Taekwondo clubs in the UK.
Master Mike McKenzie, 7th Dan
Mike founded Quest Taekwondo in 1988 and has over 45 years' experience in the sport, including a lifetime achievement award.
Our values are to Educate, Entertain and Inspire. Taekwondo builds self-confidence, self-discipline, integrity and courage, and those values shape every class at Quest, from four-year-old MonStars to international competitors.
Today Quest is based at its own centre in Oxspring, near Penistone, with sister clubs in Dewsbury, Hull, Lincoln and Liverpool.
The London 2012 Olympics
128 athletes from 63 countries competed for Olympic Taekwondo medals in London. Mike was recruited as Technical Operations Manager and then promoted to Sports Manager in charge of Taekwondo at the Games.
Quest black belts Karen Moody, Rebecca McKenzie and Laura Holness were selected as Games Makers. World Taekwondo called the event "the best taekwondo competition ever".
Caden Cunningham comes home
Quest has hosted Olympian seminars since 2000, and more recently Paralympian seminars. In 2024, for the first time, one of our own returned as the Olympian.
Caden represented Quest as a Cadet and Junior before joining the GB World Class Performance Programme in Manchester. The Olympic silver medallist ran his first UK seminar at the Quest Centre in September, with two three-hour sessions for guest clubs and Quest members, and promised to return soon.
The Quest team
Meet the black belts who teach at the Quest Centre, and our Welfare Officer.
Mike McKenzie
Karen McKenzie
Mani Thapa
Richard Ullyott
Jeff Astbury
Paul Dodd
Rebecca Hampshire
Train with Quest across the north
Sister clubs in Dewsbury, Hull, Lincoln and Liverpool, all part of the Quest organisation under Master McKenzie.
