Seventeen competitors from Portage and Carman’s Rogue 101 Taekwondo returned to competition April 30 at the Victory Cup Challenge, marking their first tournament appearance in two years.
Gracie Jeffrey, gold medallist for board breaking
Rogue 101 brought a team of 25, including three volunteers, 17 competitors and eight coaches (three competitors also served as coaches), representing a strong turnout for the club, formerly known as Portage Premier Taekwondo.
Taekwondo competition includes two disciplines: patterns (forms), also known as poomsae, and contact sparring, known as kyrogi. For some competitors, advanced sparring also included head contact — a first for all athletes in that division.
The team recorded 11 personal bests along with seven bronze medals (five in patterns, two in sparring), four silver medals (three in patterns, one in sparring) and five gold medals (one in patterns, four in sparring). For many participants, it was their first competition.
Patterns require both mental and physical strength, with athletes judged on accuracy, power, focus and precision. Sparring demands a high level of training, combining strategic, mental, physical and psychological elements.
“Rogue 101 Taekwondo’s competitors carried themselves with great strength, skill and resilience,” said Master Evelyn Hoogerdijk. “This is shown not only in how participants act when they win, but also when they do not medal. Those who did not medal still walked away with personal bests.”
There are no participation medals in taekwondo tournaments.
Coaches provided support throughout the event, including warmups, stretching, in-match mentoring and strategic guidance. Prior to the tournament, all coaches completed a seminar covering rules, Safe Sport standards, and concussion recognition and care.
“We had such a wealth of information and skills present that we were able to provide coaching to other clubs that were short of coaches,” said Hoogerdijk. “This was a great testament to the sportsmanship we strive to uphold.”
The club also extended thanks to its volunteers and expressed appreciation to parents and families for their continued support.
“Our club has tremendous heart and stands as an example in taekwondo skill and manner,” Hoogerdijk said. “I value manner and honour over medals, and to walk away with both makes me extremely proud.”
