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N.B. taekwondo students compete at national level

Jun 26, 2017 | 2:00 PM

Three students from North Battleford Taekwondo Academy got the chance to compete in national competitions recently, two of which took home medals.

The two medallists, Nolan Mutch and Caden Fullerton, competed in the junior national competition in Calgary last month.

Mutch competed in the fighting category, and won the silver medal. He won two of his four fights, and was only defeated by one of the top three fighters in the world. Fullerton, on the other hand, won bronze medal in the form (technique patterns) category.

Earlier in the year, Rachel Zanyk also competed in her first senior national competition in Montreal, and went up against world class fighters.

“I was in awe,” she said. “I [was] seeing all these Olympians that I’m a fan of, and being a part of [the competition] was huge for me.”

Zanyk placed in provincials last spring, and had been training every day afterward to prepare for Montreal.

She and the rest of the academy also attended training camps in Regina and Winnipeg along with various tournaments to refine their skills.

For a long time, it has been a goal of Zanyk’s to make it to nationals, though she did not make it on the podium.

“Since it was my first [time at nationals] I got pretty beat, but I did get some points on some world class fighters,” Zanyk said. “I got to use my defensive skills that I’ve been training, and it was a learning experience for me.”

Zanyk is leaving the academy because she is graduating, but she said the club has a bright future ahead of it.

“I’m really excited for our club… for all the training that we’re doing now, and that we’re going to nationals more,” she said. “I’ll be keeping in touch [with the club], of course.”

 

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