You can say it runs in the family. Local Taekwondo enthusiasts Nolan and Rhy Palmer both had an exceptional weekend at the 2019 BC Taekwondo Championships.
The event took place March 9 at the British Columbia Institute of Technology where the brothers earned top honours.
Nolan, 12, received gold in sparring, while Rhy, 9, won silver in Poomsae (A pattern of defence and attack movements) and third in sparring for their respective categories.
“It’s worth it when you get in, and it feels good when you win your trophy,” Rhy said.
When Nolan found out he received gold after sparring, he was smiling all the way to the podium.
“I was really excited and happy,” he said.
However, this wasn’t the first time Nolan has been successful at the provincial tournament. Last year he also won gold, so he was able to retain his title as B.C. Champion for another year.
The road to gold wasn’t easy, Nolan had to win all three of his fights, which he did.
“It felt great,” he said about going undefeated. “It just feels good when you don’t lose.”
While they aren’t new to competing at the provincial championships, there were some nerves beforehand.
“I had a tiny bit of the butterflies, but not really anything else,” said Rhy.
As they stepped into the ring for their respective matches, Nolan said he was feeling confident, his first thought was “I’m going to win.”
The best part of competing at the provincial championships for both was the actual sparring/competing.
“I just find it more fun,” said Nolan. “It’s more exciting.”
Rhy also felt the same way about the excitement in competing.
“You get to move around a lot and it’s just fun,” he said.
The competition is rewarding for the brothers, as they know they will be the best in the province for an entire year.
While it was a great opportunity, Rhy and Nolan also got to learn about ways that they could improve. Nolan will look to work on higher kicks in Poomsae and overall more flexibility and kicking faster. Rhy said he would also like to focus on more flexibility.
The Cranbrook White Tiger Taekwondo students have been participating in the sport for many years. Nolan has been in Taekwondo for seven years and has his black belt, while Rhy has been participating for four years and has a red belt.
“I like that it’s really competitive and it’s physical,” said Nolan.
The brothers will continue to work hard at Cranbrook White Tigers Taekwondo and go to tournaments, while also preparing for next years provincials.
Taekwondo originated in Korea and is the art of self-defence. It is recognized as one of the oldest forms of martial arts in the world.
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