Lake Zurich girl takes silver at Taekwondo Junior Olympics

Posted September 01, 2016 11:00 pm

Brandon Noel

Juliana Candelaria, a Lake Zurich 8-year-old, has earned a silver medal at the Taekwondo Junior Olympics, the largest martial arts competition in the country.

Placing in a top spot at the USA Taekwondo Illinois State Championship was the breaking opportunity that enabled Candelaria to earn the right to compete in the Junior Olympics. The six-day event attracted over 3,600 competitors from across the country to the Greater Richmond Convention Center to compete in various disciplines, including sparring, forms, board breaking and weapons.

According to the event organizers, only the best of the best in the country have the ability to medal at this event hosted by USA Taekwondo which is recognized by the United States Olympic Committee as the national governing body for the sport of Taekwondo in the United States.

Candelaria is a student of Head Master Shik Lee of the White Tiger Martial Arts Center in Wheeling, "When they raised Juliana's hand, naming her a silver medalist, you would have thought this little girl was 100 feet tall." stated Lee. "That's how proud she was, and I am just as proud of Juliana for her dedication not just to winning, but to herself."

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