Junior Olympic bronze brought home to Deerfield

Natella Parasadayan, a Deerfield 10 year-old, earned a bronze medal at the Junior Olympics, which was recently held in Dallas, TX. Parasadayan earned the right to compete in the Junior Olympics earlier this year when she placed in a top spot at the USA Taekwondo Illinois State Championship. USA Taekwondo is recognized by the United States Olympic Committee as the national governing body for the sport of Tae Kwon Do in the United States.

Parasadayan is a student of Head Master Shik Lee of the White Tiger Martial Arts Center, in Wheeling, IL, and was amongst a small group to medal by earning bronze in board breaking for her age group. Almost 3,200 competitors from across the country gathered at the Dallas Convention Center for this six day event to compete in various disciplines, including sparring, forms, board breaking and weapons.

“Natella is simply a winner,” commented Lee. “She devotes herself to so much more than tea kwon do. It's just that when she is training, Natella focuses so intensely and becomes so devoted to what she is doing, that one can't help but admire her perseverance.”