Thompson Valley Taekwon-Do students shine at TKDI Championships in Kelowna

Thompson Valley Taekwon-Do students shine at TKDI Championships in Kelowna

Thompson Valley Taekwon-Do students pose with Robert Gill, 5th Dan Head Instructor and Coach (in suit on left), and Taekwon-Do Pioneer Grand Master CK Choi (in suit on right) at the Taekwon-Do International Canada, Western Canadian Championships in Kelowna on Saturday, April 28.

Thompson Valley Taekwon-Do students pose with Robert Gill, 5th Dan Head Instructor and Coach (in suit on left), and Taekwon-Do Pioneer Grand Master CK Choi (in suit on right) at the Taekwon-Do International Canada, Western Canadian Championships in Kelowna on Saturday, April 28.

Thompson Valley Taekwon-Do students recently traveled to Kelowna for the Taekwon-Do International Canada, Western Canadian Championships on Saturday, April 28.

Students were also privileged to meet a Taekwon-Do Pioneer Grand Master, CK Choi, during a seminar on Friday night.

Along with the Kamloops school were several members of the Thompson Valley’s satellite school from the Barriere/Simpcw club.  In all, 22 competitors went to compete, along with Robert Gill, 5th Dan Head Instructor and Coach.

Gill said the team had a good showing, especially as many of these young students were competing for the first time.  Fourteen-year-old Cheyenne Betz, 2nd Dan Black Belt, led the way, winning gold in sparring and gold in Patterns.

Taekwon-Do athlete Cheyenne Betz continued on her gold medal run, winning her third Western Canadian Championship, to add to a national championship in 2010, and five provincial championships since 2007.

Robert Gill, 5th Dan Black Belt Taekwon-Do instructor at Thompson Valley Taekwon-Do, was recently named instructor of the month for the month of April, by the international magazine Taekwon-Do Times; which wrote, “What sets Robert Gill apart from most is that he has stayed true to the art.  He made a promise to General Choi before he died that he would just teach TKD the way it should be and he has kept that promise.”

Gill started his first school in Barriere in 1987, and currently teaches on Mondays and Wednesdays in the upstairs room at the Barriere Ball Park building.  Classes are ongoing sign-up so there is always room for more students.  They can sign-up on Monday or Wednesdays, or they can call Duane Eustache at 250-672-1090, or Robert Gill at 778-471-5770.

Here are the students final results:

Barriere/Simpcw Students

Lee Dionne,  4th in Patterns

Jeremy Strongeagle,  5th in Patterns

Justin Lampreau,  4th in Sparring

Louis Eustache,  6th in Sparring

Lucas Eustache,  5th in Sparring

Kamloops School Medalists

Patterns   Sparing

Cheyenne Betz 

age 14, Black Belt gold      gold

Luciano Carnovale, age 12, Black Belt gold

Tristin Arnold,

age 12, Black Belt silver

Harvey Koochin,

Red Belt bronze

Krystal Armstrong, Red Belt  silver silver

Marthew Blaschek,

age 11, Red Belt bronze silver

Jackie Chamness,

Red Belt silver

Will Serre,

Green Belt gold gold

Hanna Serre,

age 6, White Belt  bronze

Hailee Arnold,

age 8, White Belt silver

Charmain Schocat,

Yellow Belt bronze

 

 

 

 

Barriere Star Journal