Two taekwondo athletes going to Worlds

June 23, 2017 · 0 Comments

By Bill Rea
Two young students of Kito Martial Arts (KMA) in Bolton will be taking a trip to the Netherlands in September to compete in the World Taekwondo Championships.
Alexya Falconi, 15, has been involved in martial arts, mainly karate, for about eight years, but she’s been focusing on taekwondo for about year and a half. She said her father had been active in it, and got she and her brother involved.
“I love taekwondo,” she declared, adding she likes the fact it lets her use her legs, “and kick people in the head.”
Paul Martino, 14, has also been involved in martial arts about eight years, and he’s been doing taekwondo for about three.
“I’ve always had a passion for fighting,” he said, adding he has a very simple explanation for his success. “Just work hard.”
Falconi said she never really thought she would get this far in her activities.
“It’s always been a dream, but it was a miracle when I found out,” she said.
The two of them train four times per week at KMA, but they are soon going to start training with the national team.
“Hard work pays off at the end of the day,” observed their instructor Gabriel Tello.

Gabriel Tello of KMA and his father Edgar flank Alexya Falconi and Paul Martino, who will be part of the Canadian team at the World Taekwondo Championships in the Netherlands in September.
Photo by Bill Rea