Profile of a Champion Abby-Sue Elder

Profile of a Champion Abby-Sue Elder

Abby-Sue Elder grew up here in Cobourg, Ontario, and like many martial artists, her journey began simply by watching a friend train. As a pre-teen, she watched her best friend Sarena practicing Taekwondo and decided she wanted to try it for herself. She joined a class and enjoyed the experience, but as often happens, the busy teenage years arrived, and her training eventually paused. Years later, at 26, shortly before marrying her husband Jacob, Abby decided it was time to get back in shape. She joined the fitness kickboxing program at Cobourg Taekwondo. What started as a fitness goal quickly turned into something much more. Before long, she had rediscovered her love for martial arts, and from that point on, she never looked back.

After earning her black belt and welcoming her daughter, Sara, Abby decided to step into a new area of martial arts competition—breaking. Her first tournament was in Cobourg at a breaking tournament. Competing in several wood breaking divisions, she quickly made an impression and walked away with multiple gold medals. That first tournament experience sparked a new level of motivation. Abby soon set her sights on competing at the World Championships in Florida. There, she earned several second- and third-place finishes in women’s wood creative, side kick wood, and heel stomp wood divisions. It was clear that she had both the skill and determination to continue growing in the sport.

Over the years, Abby continued to train, compete, and refine her breaking techniques. One of the highlights of her competitive career came when she became one of the first three women invited to compete in the USBA/WBA Female Black Belt Challenge. Competing against some of the top female breakers, Abby earned an impressive second-place finish.

Another important milestone came during her 4th-degree black belt testing. With encouragement from her training partner, Al, and a great deal of personal determination, Abby successfully broke her first concrete slabs with an elbow strike. Breaking concrete requires not only proper technique but also confidence and mental focus, and that moment marked an important step forward in her martial arts journey.

Abby has continued to push herself in recent years. In both 2024 and 2025, she was crowned the Women’s Ultimate Breaking Champion with the International Kokoro Breaking Federation at the Southern Ontario Spring Martial Arts International tournament in Cobourg. This award is presented to the competitor with the highest overall score across multiple divisions, and Abby achieved it by competing in creative open breaking, concrete arm, concrete side kick, and wood hand and arm divisions.

During the 2025 competition, she also set a personal record by breaking four concrete bricks with her elbow. Never one to shy away from a challenge, Abby is already setting her sights on her next goal—attempting five bricks. While breaking has become one of her strongest competitive areas, Abby has also expanded her martial arts training into other disciplines. She holds a 2nd-degree black belt in the Superfoot Kickboxing System, founded by Bill ‘Superfoot” Wallace, and a yellow belt in Hapkido under Grandmaster Jonathan Field. More recently, she has begun exploring point sparring competition as well.

Her first sparring competition was the Brooklin Blitz, hosted by Master Jean-Luc Lacombe. Abby stepped into a completely different style of competition and immediately found success, winning gold in her division in both 2025 and 2026. She has also taken part in officials’ training, helping support the tournament side of the martial arts community.

Outside the dojang, Abby works as a financial administrator for a local non-profit organization and also provides bookkeeping services for several local businesses. When she is not training or working, she enjoys reading and spending time with her family. Her daughter Sara briefly trained in Taekwondo before following her passion for dance, and this past summer her nine-year-old son Mathew began his own martial arts journey. Abby especially enjoys helping teach younger students in the children’s classes and watching them develop confidence and discipline through their training.

For more than a decade, Abby has also volunteered alongside her friend Al to teach students from a local community living program. Their classes bring a wonderful energy to the dojang, and the students share Abby’s enthusiasm for breaking boards. In June of 2026, Abby-Sue will test for her 5th-degree black belt under Grandmaster Field at Cobourg Taekwondo. While she has achieved many accomplishments in competition and breaking, what stands out most about Abby is her dedication to helping others and continuing to grow as a martial artist.

For Abby, martial arts has never been just about competition or physical strength. It is about perseverance, friendship, and the character that is built through consistent training and the willingness to challenge yourself. And like all great martial artists, she continues to move forward—one break, one goal, and one lesson at a time.

Grandmaster Jonathan Field

Cobourg Tae Kwon Do Ltd.

975 Elgin Street West Unit 4

Cobourg ON K9A 5J3

905-373-0032

Cobourg Tae Kwon Do

http://www.cobourgtaekwondo.ca

YouTube – www.youtube.com/sirfield 

Empowered

https://www.womenempowermenttraining.com

YouTube – www.youtube.com/empowered8083 

Ontario Martial Arts Symposium

www.ontariomas.com 

Southern Ontario Spring Martial Arts International

www.sosmai.ca