Palatine Teen Takes Home Gold at Taekwondo National Championship

For determined taekwondo red belt Nancy Cabrera of Palatine, the 2013 USA Taekwondo National Championship was the culmination of her path to athletic glory and personal achievement. The 15-year-old student of the White Tiger Martial Arts Center in Wheeling came home from the tournament – the world's largest taekwondo competition – with two medals, a gold medal in sparring and a bronze in board breaking.

More than 4,000 athletes competed at this year's national championship, held in Chicago, IL from July 3-9 and boasting Olympic-level training technology. The United States Olympic Committee recognizes USA Taekwondo as the governing body for the sport in the U.S., and victory at USAT's national level is an important step on the road to compete for the U.S. at the XXXI Olympic Summer Games, to be held in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. For athletes under the age of 16, such as Cabrera, who are not yet eligible to enter Olympic trials, the USAT nationals serve as the highest and most prestigious level of competition they can achieve.

“Nancy has brought immense pride to herself, her family and our center,” said Cabrera's instructor, White Tiger Head Master Skik Lee. “She is a skilled competitor and passionate student of taekwondo, and I see a bright future for her in the sport.”