Laine

What do they love most about playing their sport(s)?

Laine loves the excitement of training camps and tournaments: “I love how excited I get to go places because you meet amazing people there that are always willing to support you and help you grow as a martial artist, on and off the mat. We push hard to improve and support one another in wins and losses. Growth mindset, always. We also get to show-off the hard work that we put into training and classes that often goes unnoticed! In TKD, we live the phrase to compete is to win.”

Who inspires them—on or off the field—and why?

Laine first met her current instructor when she was just 4 years old. As a teenager himself then, he was charismatic, engaging, and passionate about taekwondo. He modeled strength in mind and body that brought toddlers to attention and parents to the edges of their seats. For Laine, his love of the sport and prowess to teach it is infectious. She strives to compete, to succeed, and to learn to instruct just as he does. He pushes her to never give up because he is “all in”, leading by example.

What’s one moment in their athletic journey that makes you proudest?

The proudest moment for me is not Laine’s greatest victory, but rather her greatest loss at the World Championships in 2023, by a single point called as time expired. I watched my 10 year-old genuinely hug and congratulate her victor and then step off the mat in tears at the side of her instructor. Tears shed because she felt like she let him down, that she knew what to do but didn’t execute, she defaulted to predictable. In that moment, I was humbled. She has the heart of a champion.