Good afternoon to all who are attending my black belt grading today.
I never thought I would have gotten so far in my taekwondo journey today, it feels like only yesterday that I was a shy girl who was just starting taekwondo for fun. I still remember the first time I tried out for taekwondo, it was roughly 2 and half years ago at Lalor, where Master Benecia helped me learn the basics of taekwondo. To be honest, it was quite an awkward experience as I was quite new to the sport and the environment and didn’t have anyone around my age there, so the masters encouraged me and suggested that I start training at Mitcham instead. Although the experience was still all new to me, it was then, when I moved to Mitcham, that I started making friends and felt more comfortable in the taekwondo environment, and I haven’t looked back since.
Though throughout my journey, there have been many challenges, it has only made me grow stronger both physically and mentally and taught me that taekwondo is about the value of dedication, perseverance, diligence, and self-discipline. These values have helped me through not only the many rigorous FAST trainings and warriors, where I have learned to push myself past my limits so I can improve both my fitness and strengthening my body to further advance my sparring strategies, but also my lifestyle where I have learned to not give up on what I am aiming for. I am proud to say that one of the greatest achievements is watching myself grow and get stronger alongside my fellow friends and peers.
Even though I haven’t been to very many competitions, I am still grateful for the opportunities that I have gotten to compete. I have gained more experience through these competitions which has given me a better understanding of how I want to continue my taekwondo journey in the future, and what I am aiming towards.
Thank you, Master Joyce, for organising the many events throughout the year. Thank you, Master Brian, for helping me perfect my techniques whether it be kicking, blocking, striking, or poomsae and teaching me the various self-defence skills that can be applied to real-life situations. Thank you, Master Bryanna, for always sparring and coaching me to help me improve my techniques. Thank you, for also supporting me when I am stressed, always making everyone laugh and driving me home. Thank you, Master Benecia, for always making sure I put 110% into my training, helping me make my kicks spicier for competitions, and pushing me past my limits so I can keep improving. Also, a big thank you to my parents for consistently driving me to training and supporting me in all my competitions. I have created so many great friends and memories along the way that I will never forget. Thank you all for supporting me throughout this journey and I can’t wait to see how it progresses in the future. LOVE YALL!!!
