Gold in the Grove

Picturesque of a martial arts fight scene in a big budget Hollywood production, Buffalo Grove black belt, Dori Lee (13), swept across the competition floor of the 2016 USA Taekwondo National Championship with high flying acrobatic moves that sent wooden splinters flying through the air. Pieces of shattered boards reached heights normally left to the birds and even Jackie Chan would have been open jawed at the expertly choreographed routing that landed the young athlete a Gold medal.

The student of the White Tiger Martial Arts Center in Wheeling had practiced for months often training into the late evenings and weekends to prepare for his chance to compete amongst 3600 athletes from across the nation in the largest taekwondo competition in the country, hosted by USA Taekwondo which is recognized by the US Olympic Committee as the governing body for the sport in the United States.

Despite the raw talent demonstrated by Lee, every true athlete only becomes great with practice. "We push Dori pretty hard, going over the intricate details of each move over and over," commented Head Master Shik Lee, Dori Lee's instructor. "But no matter how hard we push him, he holds himself to even higher standards. Many times, it turns out that he is the one challenging us to help him get better. I admire that in Dori, he never settles and never quits."

For young athletes under the age of 16, 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 in the United States. Winning a medal at this event is not easy but taking home gold is certainly an achievement that Lee, and all of Buffalo Grove, should be proud of.