Two Lloydminster athletes have made their mark on the international stage, proudly representing Canada at the ITF Taekwon-Do World Championships in Poreč, Croatia.
Read more: Team Torrent pair to represent Canada at world event
Lucas Feeley, 20, and Reeve Hunt, 15, of Torrent Tae Kwon Do joined 50 Team Canada athletes competing against some of the world’s best from Oct. 7 to 11 at the Sports Hall Žatika. The event drew hundreds of elite martial artists from across the globe, all vying for world titles in their divisions.
For both athletes, the experience was made even more special as their home coach and Torrent Tae Kwon Do owner, Chris Feeley, was also selected to serve as a Team Canada coach.
Feeley, who competed in sparring and special techniques (breaking), earned a bronze medal in special techniques after facing tough opponents from Scotland, Romania, New Zealand and Hungary.
Hunt, competing in his first-ever world championship, finished ninth in sparring — an impressive result that ranks him among the top 10 in the world for his age group.
“It’s pretty sick. I can go back to school and be top 10 in the world for my age range, which is pretty cool to think about,” said Hunt, reflecting on the experience. “All the training before feels normal, but then you get there and there’s people from all the countries, all the cheering, the opening ceremony. It’s something.”
Hunt said representing Canada for the first time was unforgettable.
“I’d run into random people there and taekwondo would come up. They’re like, ‘Oh, wait, you’re representing Canada? Go Canada!’ ” he said. “Everyone cheers for you even though they’ve never met you and they think you’re the best person ever. It was pretty cool.”
For Feeley, who’s competed internationally before, the championships were another reminder that practice makes perfect.
“It was an awesome experience, as always, and it reminded me how eye-opening world competitions can be. It’s a whole other world at these events,” he said. “I hit four out of the five breaks and ended up in a tiebreaker.”
That tiebreaker came down to the most difficult technique he’d been working on throughout training camp.
“It just so happened to be the hardest break I was dealing with the whole training camp,” Feeley said. “I spent — I don’t know how many reps, how many hours — just trying to hit this one break. Knowing this was the hardest break I’d been dealing with in camp, I knew I just had to go for it and leave it all out on the field. I hit it and won the bronze. It was a pretty special moment.”
Looking ahead, both athletes say the world stage offered valuable lessons.
“The Europeans use their lead legs way more than anyone in Canada,” Hunt said. “I want to work on that, as well as muscle training and endurance building for the future. I want to get to a point where I don’t have to think during competition — I want it all to be muscle memory.”
Already a World Cup gold medallist, Feeley says he’s now setting his sights on the elusive world championship gold.
Read more: Martial artist sets sights on Worlds
