Barry Wright
Athletes from Bluewater Taekwondo came home with several trophies from the Sport Taekwondo Open event at Toronto's York University.
“It's arguably one of the biggest tournaments in all of Canada right now,” said Bluewater head coach and master Pat Bell.
The event drew competitors ages nine and up from all over Ontario and parts of Quebec and the United States, he said.
“It seems to be bigger every year.”
In addition to individual hardware, Bluewater won an overall award for faring well at the March 28-29 event, Bell said.
Competitors from the Front Street location will be back in Toronto this weekend for the UTA Open, also at York University, while still others continue to train for the Canadian National Championships in June in Montreal.
Bell said the sport is flourishing in this area, with athletes at Bluewater ranging from beginners to black belts that fight on the national and international stage.
Taekwondo teaches participants how to be leaders and helps them succeed at other sports, said Bell, pointing to Sarnia's Carolyne Prevost as an example.
Prevost, a former member at the downtown club, used her taekwondo training to become an elite competitor in several sports, including women's professional hockey and soccer.