The Art of Taekwon-Do and Kung Fu Club recently returned from competition in Red Deer where they took home 20 medals and one Grand Champion. Supplied Photo
The Art of Taekwon-Do and Kung Fu Club has much to celebrate after doubling up on medals at the recent Western Canadian Karate Championships in Red Deer.
The club took 11 competitors ranging from five to 17 years old and returned with 20 medals and one Grand Champion.
“It feels great to have had that kind of success in Red Deer,” said one of the club’s owners and lead instructors, Eliza Ma, adding the fact this was the club’s final competition of the year.
“It’s a great way to end the season and it’s a great way for the kids to feel good. We love going to Red Deer and we’ve been going since I was three or four, but for the kids to do well, I think it really boosted their confidence.”
When the group returned from competition in Calgary in April, Ma joked she isn’t happy until the number of medals won is double the number of athletes at the competition, and after returning from Red Deer, her students were doing their own kind of math.
“As the kids would say, ‘the grand championship makes up three medals, so really, 23 medals,’ that’s what they’ve been telling me. The kids say there’s nothing to complain about now, but I’m sure I’ll find something,” she said with a laugh.
For anyone unsure, Ma explained a grand champion is crowned when a competitor places first in their division before moving on and competing against all other winning athletes in their age group.
“It’s a pretty big deal and we couldn’t be happier,” said Ma of the club’s new accolades.
Twelve-year-old Xander Ortanez was the club’s grand champion, his first-ever. Ortanezalso came home with two medals.
Zoenela Herath took home 3 medals, Naomi Brand, 2, Sofiia Ozymchuk, 3, Tristan Conroy, 3, William Woodland, 2, Reigen Phillips, 1, Yeohaun Ortanez, 1, Spencer Phillips, 2, Mary Senense, 2. Marti Henardino also attended the weekend’s action.
Ortanez said it felt amazing to be grand champion after months of training for Wushu martial arts and sparring competitions.
Ortanez also noted a life lesson he’s learned through martial arts is the fact you can meet new people, but when the time comes, you still have to compete against them, even if you’re friends.
Zoenela Herath, 17, also had a great weekend taking home three medals.
“I placed second in musical weapons, first in regular weapons, and second in forms, so Kung Fu,” said the black belt, adding she’s been training at the Art of Taekwon-Do and Kung Fu for roughly a decade.
“For my next competition, I want to try to get first in all of them.”
