This year would be his 1st year fighting as a Junior Fly weight (age 15-17 < 99 lbs). It was a bit nerve wracking to know that he was going to be the youngest and smallest kid out there but... he's our Billy and he put in full effort.
He gradually added more push ups each day and is now up to 99 a day OUTSIDE of the ones he does in practice.
He's got a 12 pack and super ripped triceps.
A week before the event he was weighing in at 103 so he a few pounds to drop and we had no idea where they would come from. He put himself on a strick diet of only fruits and vegetables 3 days prior and no water 18 hours prior and might have pushed it a bit too far. He ended up weighing at 94 pounds. I will say, the burger he had for lunch after weigh in was the best tasting burger of his whole life.
Every year, Nationals is the same week as the 4th of July, which causes a bit of vacation planning havoc but.. .this year, it was in Minneapolis so we felt like we got the best of both worlds. TKD AND the ability to go on vacation once he was done competiting (more on that in the next blog).
The big day came, he was able to sleep soundly in his bed the night before and he was ready to go!
All his coaches and teammates came to cheer him on (Master Lemon, Ms Grace, Master Lee, his girlfriend, Esa, Kris, Aunt Sue...it was a downright mob!!)
He did not disappoints. He was seeded 17 and was fighting a kid seeded 20. It was a really well suited match, Billy fought his heart out and came away with a win!! This is HUGE! To actually even win 1 match at Nationals is something to be really proud of ... the final score.... 24-18 !!! Way to go Billy!
Match #2 was going to prove a bit harder. His opponent had a bye so was a bit fresher plus he was seeded 4th. Billy was going to have to bring his all. But, in the match before his, the 7th seed beat the 1st seed so, we just kept telling him ... anyone can beat anyone else at any time.... you've trained for this, you've done all you can, you've worked hard, trust your body, listen to your coach and give it all you have. He did that in spades!! While he didnt win, (he lost 18-7), he put up a great fight, had great defense and his coaches were so proud of him!!
Now, next year should we easier. He'll be older, bigger, have a bit more experience at this level and will train just as hard as he did this year.
We are so proud of you Billy! Its so fun to watch you work hard at what you love and see you doing your best. XOXOX0 - we love you!!
Go to YouTube (LoudAmericans) to see more of his sparring but here are a few highlights...
