Local Taekwondo competitors bring home 13 medals from the 2023 AAU Taekwondo National Competition held in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., July 2 – 8. The Craven County athletes from Empower Taekwondo competed among 4,000 athletes from around the United States.
“Our team earned three gold medals, five silver medals and five bronze medals. It is a great accomplishment for Empower Taekwondo and the greater Craven County because our team has been working so hard this year to compete at a higher level at this year’s AAU Nationals Championship. We have been competing in the AAU as a team since 2011, and we couldn’t be prouder of our athletes for bringing home 13 medals this year,” said Master Hama, owner of Empower Taekwondo.
“Participating in any Taekwondo championship is not only a rush for the athletes, but the culmination of a goal. This national championship was not open to all Taekwondo students, but only those that qualified having participated in a state competition. Watching our athletes grow over this past year, set the goal to qualify for this competition, and compete at such a high level has been wonderful to watch. Team Empower is passionate about martial arts and we loved sharing our enthusiasm for this sport with other like-minded athletes in Florida,” said Yetta Elliott, Empower Taekwondo athlete and parent.
The following local athletes earned medals in these competitions:
Gianna Elliott – Gold in board breaking
Olivia Copley – Gold in board breaking
AbdulNasser Al-Shaebi – Gold in sparring and bronze in board breaking Saleh Al-Shaebi – Silver in board breaking and sparring
Madison Bartlett – Silver in board breaking Elijah Linton – Bronze in board breaking
Telly Ipock – Silver in form and bronze in sparring Wiley Tower – Silver in board breaking
Daniel Tower – Bronze in board breaking
Abdulhameed Al-Shaebi – Bronze sparing and board breaking
Other competitors who competed as part of the team: Mea Elliott, Clement Ipock, Glenwood Ipock and Zachary Mathews.
All of these martial arts students have been training since January 21, 2023 when they were qualified for the national competition.
Empower Taekwondo is located in the James City area of New Bern, N.C., Empower Taekwondo is founded and led by Master Hama, a Six-Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo, Olympic Scholarship recipient, and a multi-time international Taekwondo Championship Medalist. Previously operating under the name “Carolina Kicks,” Empower Taekwondo has been a cornerstone of traditional Taekwondo for over a decade. We specialize in teaching both adults and children the latest Olympic-style sparring techniques and Poomsae forms. Our students have consistently showcased their skills at national championships across the country, benefiting from our cross-training programs. In 2019, we expanded our dojang and underwent a rebranding to become “Empower Taekwondo”. Today, the Empower Taekwondo community continues to grow, fostering strength and discipline in every student. For more information: empower-tkd.com.
By Master Hama Alzouma