Wednesday, August 13, 2003
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Wednesday, August 13, 2003 |
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Local martial artists shine at Jr. Olympics
Tiger Martial Arts in Fayetteville, working to build Olympic champions in tae kwon do, was well represented at a recent Junior Olympics competition in Orlando. Leigh Andrea' Burton, a student at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic School, was state champion in Class A hurdles this spring, but the 14-year-old's Olympic dreams are in tae kwon do, and after six years of competition, the second-degree black belt has compiled an impressive record. She was a bronze medal winner in sparring after suffering her first defeat ever at the national competition. For the past two summers, she has trained at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, and at this time next year she will have the opportunity to compete for a spot on the national team, which gives her a chance to vie for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. Mathew Dixon and Aladdin Koja, both students at Counterpane Montessori School, also medaled during the national competition. Mathew received a gold medal in sparring and a bronze medal in forms. He attributes his interest in the sport to his grandfather. Aladdin received a bronze medal in sparring and a bronze medal in forms. He is the oldest son of Master Instructor Eid Koja and a first-degree black belt. Other students who medaled during the national competition included Savannah Jordan, winner of a gold in sparring and a bronze in forms; Arthur Chapman, with a silver in sparring; and Charis Boveland, with a bronze in sparring. All students trained under the direction of Eid M. Koja, a certified master instructor and a fifth-degree Kukkiwon. He is proud of his students, all of whom train very hard. "I believe in God and I think that through proper guidance they can make the right choices," he said of his students. "We will take a child when they are a white belt and teach them the right way in Olympic-style training." While admitting that he would love to turn each one of his students into Olympic champions, he first desires for his students to realize personal growth from their tae kwon do experiences. "If they become Olympic champions, collegiate champions or business executives, I want my students to look back on this as a great experience."
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