Buffalo Grove sisters win big in taekwondo
Thousands of athletes from across the country travelled to the Motor City last month to attend the world's largest taekwondo tournament. Hosted by USA Taekwondo (USAT), which is recognized by the United States Olympic Committee as the national governing body for the sport of Taekwondo in the US, the 2017 National Championships kicked off 4th of July week.
Amongst the travelers were Buffalo Grove siblings Riara (7) and Mirei (10) Shiiba each taking home a bronze medal. Riara won a bronze medal for Sparring while her sister; Mirei won a bronze medal for Board Breaking. The two young athletes were part of a specialized competition team from the White Tiger Martial Arts Center (WTMAC) in Wheeling and are trained under the instruction of Head Master Shik Lee.
The sisters have been practicing Taekwondo at WTMAC for just two years. "I am very proud of these two young ladies for their accomplishments at the championships," said Lee. "They have worked extremely hard and always encourage each other to stay focused and sharp."
Lee indicated that he specifically chose the Shiiba girls for the team based on recommendations from the other coaches at the center. "During regular training they demonstrated the efforts and techniques that made them stand out from the crowd." Lee commented. Lee went on to described how the coaches approached him indicating that the two showed advanced potential; after further evaluation and testing the Head Master agreed and placed the duo on the training team and then later fleeting them up to the competition team. Two bronze medals later, it seems the coaches made a great reference.
More than 3,600 athletes, 500 hundred coaches and 200 plus referees took part in the 2017 championships. There were around 2,058 sparring matches, over 6,000 boards broken and thousands of Poomsae routines performed.
According to USAT, winning a medal at the National Championships is not an easy task. To simply compete in the National Championships an athlete must first participate in a state level sanctioned competition. So by the time they reach the national level, and make it to the medal rounds, they would have already gone up against some of the best competitors in the country. To then walk away with one of the top spots is a feat that only a small few can claim.
"I see great potential is both girls. If they continue working hard, training, and compete, there are endless possibilities Taekwondo can provide," Lee concluded.