Local Taekwon-Do athletes bring home hardware from provincial championships

Three athletes reached the podium in Burnaby as the May Canadian national championships approach.
Taekwon-Do athletes stand on a blue mat in a gymnasium at Alpha Secondary School in Burnaby. They are competing in provincial championships and wearing white dobok uniforms with red gloves, helmets and shoes. Coach Ryan Oevermann sits in a chair on the sidelines wearing a blue sweater, black pants and white shoes with three black stripes. There is a small crowd of people in the stands.
Coach Ryan Oevermann watches athletes as they competed in the provincial Taekwon-Do championship in Burnaby on March 4. Photo provided.

Athletes from Sun Peaks’ Northern Taekwon-Do Academy competed in the provincial championships in Burnaby on March 4 and brought home medals from gold to bronze.

In the first provincial championship since COVID-19, over 200 athletes throughout the province competed at Alpha Secondary school. Tristan Stokon, age ten, earned silver in sparring and bronze in pattern, 12-year-old Ava Dye took home gold in sparring and coach Ryan Oevermann won bronze in pattern.

Oevermann, the academy’s chief instructor, said while he offered encouragement before the competition, preparation is the key to success.

“[Performing well is about] practice beforehand. When [students] go into competition under stress, the brain shuts off. But the body will do what it’s trained to do,” Oevermann told SPIN.

Oevermann is a fifth-degree black belt who started in the sport in 1989. In 2019, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, a progressive brain disorder that causes uncontrollable movements, including shaking, a lack of balance and stiffness.

He said his legacy is to pass on his teaching to a new generation of kids and competing with his diagnosis is “a new adventure.”

“This is a new adventure for me, to compete with Parkinson’s. To place [bronze] was quite exciting,” Oevermann said.

Athletes at the gym have belt testing on March 16 and will spend the next two months preparing for the Canadian national Taekwon-Do championships in Vernon at the Kal Tire Centre.

Oevermann said he and other athletes from the Academy will prepare for the national-level competition by resuming training twice a week for one-hour sessions and adding in extra training as needed before the event.

Northern Taekwon-Do Academy trains athletes from recreational to competitive levels and is open to youth and adults. All athletic abilities are welcome.

Help us bring you more local news

SPIN has been able to serve Sun Peaks as its sole news source for over 20 years thanks to the overwhelming support of our community. Join over 126 of your neighbours and become a monthly or yearly member so that we can continue to regularly publish the digital newsletters and stories our readers rely on.

Author

This site uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. By continuing to use this website, you consent to the use of cookies in accordance with our privacy policy.

Scroll to Top