About Kayla – 3 X World Champion
November 2013- UPDATE
I just had the experience of a lifetime competing at the 2013 World Championships in Spain. I achieved all my goals and more!!!!I won double gold in my Individual 3rd degree patterns and gold for my Individual Sparring and a silver for team power breaking. Adding my previous gold in 2nd degree patterns from the 2011 World Championships makes me a 3 X World Champion.
Over 50 countries competed and Canada had the largest delegation with 63 athletes. Canada place 7th overall with 8 medals.
I have dedicated my life to living a healthy lifestyle through training and encouraging other people to achieve their goals. Last year I created a 5 step goal setting program and I have shared it with several elementary schools, community centres, summer camps and athletic teams. I think that kids can relate to the program since I’m not much older than they are and they see that I’m setting goals with them and together we can do it!
I also wanted to share my fitness experience that I’ve gained from training with some of the best athletes, coaches, TKD instructors and fitness instructors in the world so I give fitness boot camps to various teams. I design the drills according to the needs of the specific sport and what the individual goals are of the athletes.
I’m in my last year of high school and I am very involved in a program called “Link Crew” which helps integrate new students and the grade 9 students into our school. The program is designed to prevent bullying and to teach leadership skills.
Next year I will attend university in Business in Ottawa. I want to stay in Ottawa since I want to continue training under my TKD Instructor, Mr. LeGrow. My next big goal is to qualify for the next Team Canada in the Women’s division. The next World Championship is 2015 in Italy.
I would like to give a special thanks to my family, friends and my Instructor Mr. LeGrow for their continued support and encouragement. Without the financial support of my community and my Gold sponsor McDonalds (Barrhaven) I would not have been able to Spain so I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
July 2013 – UPDATE
Nationals are over and Team Canada has been selected. I was very happy to win double gold at the Eastern Canadians and double gold again at Nationals.
Now it’s time for hard core training to prepare for the World Championships in Spain, October 2013. I have to balance the right amount of time in my training between sparring and patterns since I’ve qualified for both events. I’ve added lots of different elements to my training including Cross Fit training, spinning classes, weight lighting, swimming, yoga and different forms of dance. In total I train about 30-35 hours a week.
I stopped competing in my throwing events (javelin, shot put and discus) for the summer since I need to focus on my taekwon-do training but I will return to track after the Championships. Staying injury free is my priority.
I look forward to the National training weekends where team mates from all Canada get together. It’s hard to get together since we are such a huge country and the flights are very expensive. We also have our Sports Psychologists at those trainings. I absolutely love sports psychology so I’m really looking forward to those sessions.
This summer I have a part time job and I also lead fitness bootcamps for teams in the community. I work with basketball teams, soccer teams and track athletes. I believe that cross training, proper nutrition and proper goal setting is so important to achieve your desired results. In September I will finish up my last year of high school in grade 12.
Please follow my journey through my weekly blog as I prepare for the biggest competition of my life. It’s such a huge honour to represent Canada on the world stage. I look forward to defending my title.
January 2013 – UPDATE
I am so excited for this year since I am starting my second cycle of preparation for the upcoming World Championships in Spain 2013. The World Championships are held every 2 years. Now that I’ve had one World Championship under my belt I have a much better idea what to expect. I want to repeat everything that worked for me in my last preparation but I also want to work on some areas that I need to improve on. I am in a very good head space and I’ve never felt in better physical shape. Since each country is only allowed to take the top 2 competitors for each division/category I still have to win at the Eastern Canadians and then the Nationals in May. It’s important for me to take each tournament one at a time but I like to train as if each tournament is the World Championships. Each tournament is another step towards reaching my goal of winning Gold medals in sparring and patterns.
This time around I am competing as a 3rd degree black belt so I will be competing against different girls than before (unless they have also been promoted). In the U18 division there are always new competitors coming up the ranks in sparring so that keeps me on my toes. I never want to get over confident. I like the ‘unknown’ to keep me training hard. They are expecting over 60 countries to compete in Spain so I know this is a huge challenge and I’m up for it!
Check back May 19th for the official list of who is on the Canadian National Team 2013. In the meantime I hope you follow my journey by reading my blog. For me….it’s all about the journey and the experience.
August 2012- UPDATE
Hi, my name is Kayla Maduk and I competed in the 2011 ITF Taekwon-Do World Championships in New Zealand. I am so excited to say that I was able to bring back the gold medal for 2nd degree Patterns in the U18 division for Canada making me the Junior Female World Champion. I am equally excited to have also won two silver medals (Individual Sparring and Team Power Breaking) earning me the most medals for Canada. Competing at the World Championships has been the best experience of my life for so many reasons.
More importantly than the medals I learned several extremely important lessons that will help me through the rest of my life. Competing on the world stage means having to make a lot of decisions, have good time management, being able to deal with huge amounts of pressure, staying injury free, making healthy lifestyle choices in regards to food and rest, always being a role model since you are no longer just representing yourself but also your country. You also have to make lots of sacrifices.
However, it also comes with HUGE privileges, and honour. I’ve had the chance to train and compete with the best athletes in the world and be coached by the highest ranked instructors, masters and even grand masters. I’ve had the opportunity to work with sport psychologists who helped me prepare mentally to get me to the next level. I’ve learned that only I can put limits on myself. I’ve learned that there so many things out of your control on the day of competition but it’s how you deal with the unexpected that can make the difference between the gold and the silver medal. Knowing and doing are two very different things.
I have surrounded myself with driven, passionate and positive people. It can be isolating training for an individual sport for endless hours every week. I’ve learned the only way to improve is to push myself to the limits. I don’t take anything for granted. For me, training is what I love to do more than anything. I also love to help other people young and old to improve on their goals in sports. It’s not about standing on the podium (although that was an indescribable feeling and the highlight of my life) it’s about the growth and achieving your personal best. I love to share my experiences with others since I know I can help make a difference for others as well. I am only 16 years but I have had so many unique opportunities through different sports that I know these life lessons can and will be applied in areas including school, volunteer work, coaching, relationships, friendships, work and just day to day living.
I’ve learned that getting out of my comfort zone to do things like public speaking, meeting company owners asking for sponsorship, being interviewed are now things that I like instead of being afraid of. I am a member of the Speakers Bureau for the “Because I am A Girl” campaign for Plan Canada. I get to speak with elementary school kids on goal setting. I have come up with a 5 Step Plan to help you grow into a Champion. You can be a champion of anything. I think it’s important to put yourself out there and be a champion of your own life. I came up with the 5 Step Plan from my personal experiences and I find myself using the steps everyday, with whatever I am doing, not just with sports.
I’ve been surprised with how many people followed my journey to prepare for the World Championships through my training blog. I’ve never felt such love and support by family, friends and even complete strangers. When I first started to write my blog it was for my own personal use but now I see that others are interested too.
I can’t thank all my supporters and sponsors enough for helping me get to New Zealand. Without them, I would not have been able to go. Thank you again.
My next big goal is to compete at the next World Championships in Spain 2013 and come home with 2 gold medals for Canada. It would be my last year in the Junior U18 division. I have just started the competition circuit to qualify for the team again. It is a huge honour to be on the national team since only the top two competitors for each division are allowed to represent each country. I hope that people of all ages join me on my next big journey.
I also train with the Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club focusing on Javelin, Shot Put and Discus. Although the throwing events are new for me, it’s a natural fit with my disciplined TKD training habits, my body strength and coordination. I love the fact that you can easily measure your improvement with a distance so you get the satisfaction of the training. I am ranked in the top 7 for all three throwing events in Canada in my age division. I played competitive soccer for OSU at the Ontario Youth Soccer League (OYSL) level but recently put soccer on hold. It was too hard to commit to a team sport with my hectic TKD training schedule. I need the flexibility of individual sports.
There are so many great possibilities out there so right now I’m just appreciating every door that is opening for me. I hope you follow my progress.
Sincerely,
Kayla
__________________________________________________________________
November 2010
My name is Kayla Maduk and I’m the youngest member of the ITF Canadian National Taekwon-Do Team. I’ve just qualified to represent Canada at the World Championships in New Zealand, March 9th-13th, 2011. Check out www.itfnewzealand2011.com for more details.
At the World Championships I will be competing in:
1. Individual Patterns
2. Individual Sparring
3. Individual Power Breaking
4. Team Sparring
5. Team Power Breaking
I am 14 years old and I’ve been studying taekwon-do since I was three and a half. My most recent sanctioned tournament results include:
Eastern Canadian Regional’s- Montreal March 27th, 2010
Gold in sparring Gold in Power Breaking Silver in Patterns
CANAM Championships- Oakville June 5th and 6th, 2010
Gold in sparring Gold in Patterns Selected for the Junior Girls Canadian National Sparring Team
Canadian Nationals – Richmond Olympic Oval – British Columbia November 12-13th, 2010
Gold in 2nd dan Patterns Silver in Power Breaking Bronze – Sparring
March 2011
Hi, my name is Kayla Maduk and I just competed in the 2011 ITF Taekwon-Do World Championships in New Zealand. I am so excited to say that I was able to bring back the gold medal for 2nd degree Patterns in the U18 division for Canada making me the Junior Female World Champion. I am equally excited to have also won two silver medals (Individual Sparring and Team Power Breaking) earning me the most medals for Canada. Competing at the World Championships has been the best experience of my life for so many reasons.
More importantly than the medals I learned several extremely important lessons that will help me through the rest of my life. Competing on the world stage means having to make a lot of decisions, have good time management, being able to deal with huge amounts of pressure, staying injury free, making healthy lifestyle choices in regards to food and rest, always being a role model since you are no longer just representing yourself but also your country. You also have to make lots of sacrifices.
However, it also comes with HUGE privileges, and honour. I’ve had the chance to train and compete with the best athletes in the world and be coached by the highest ranked instructors, masters and even grand masters. I’ve had the opportunity to work with sport psychologists who helped me prepare mentally to get me to the next level. I’ve learned that only I can put limits on myself. I’ve learned that there so many things out of your control on the day of competition but it’s how you deal with the unexpected that can make the difference between the gold and the silver medal. Knowing and doing are two very different things.
I have surrounded myself with driven, passionate and positive people. It can be isolating training for an individual sport for endless hours every week. I’ve learned the only way to improve is to push myself to the limits. I don’t take anything for granted. For me, training is what I love to do more than anything. I also love to help other people young and old to improve on their goals in sports. It’s not about standing on the podium (although that was an indescribable feeling and the highlight of my life) it’s about the growth and achieving your personal best. I love to share my experiences with others since I know I can help make a difference for others as well. I am only 15 years but I have had so many unique opportunities through different sports that I know these life lessons can and will be applied in areas including school, volunteer work, coaching, relationships, friendships, work and just day to day living.
I’ve learned that getting out of my comfort zone to do things like public speaking, meeting company owners asking for sponsorship, being interviewed are now things that I like instead of being afraid of. I’ve been surprised with how many people followed my journey to prepare for the World Championships through my training blog. I’ve never felt such love and support by family, friends and even complete strangers. When I first started to write my blog it was for my own personal use but now I see that others are interested too.
I can’t thank all my supporters and sponsors enough for helping me get to New Zealand. Without them, I would not have been able to go. Thank you again.
I would ultimately like to qualify for the National Team for the Next World Championships in Spain 2013 as a 3rd degree. It would be my last year in the Junior U18 division.
I love soccer and I’m currently playing at the Regional Level. The soccer gives me the opportunity to work as a team and be with girls my own age. In Taekwon-Do I mostly train with adult men. With the soccer team I will get to travel a lot as well which is something else that I love to do. I’m not sure where soccer will take me at this point but I’m enjoying every second of it and it’s great to have the variety and cross training.
I am also training with the Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club focussing on Javelin. My next big javelin goal is to win at OFSAA Spring 2012. Although javelin is a new sport for me, it’s a natural fit with my diciplined TKD training habits, my body strength and coordination. I love the fact that you can easily measure your improvement with a distance so you get the satisfaction of the training.
There are so many great possibilities out there so right now I’m just appreciating every door that is opening for me. I hope you follow my progress.
Sincerely,
Kayla
__________________________________________________________________
November 2010
My name is Kayla Maduk and I’m the youngest member of the ITF Canadian National Taekwon-Do Team. I’ve just qualified to represent Canada at the World Championships in New Zealand, March 9th-13th, 2011. Check out www.itfnewzealand2011.com for more details.
At the World Championships I will be competing in:
1. Individual Patterns
2. Individual Sparring
3. Individual Power Breaking
4. Team Sparring
5. Team Power Breaking
I am 14 years old and I’ve been studying taekwon-do since I was three and a half. My most recent sanctioned tournament results include:
Eastern Canadian Regional’s- Montreal March 27th, 2010
Gold in sparring
Gold in Power Breaking
Silver in Patterns
CANAM Championships- Oakville June 5th and 6th, 2010
Gold in sparring
Gold in Patterns
Selected for the Junior Girls Canadian National Sparring Team
Canadian Nationals – Richmond Olympic Oval – British Columbia November 12-13th, 2010
Gold in 2nd dan Patterns
Silver in Power Breaking
Bronze – Sparring
At the Nationals Championships in Vancouver there was a round robin with competitors from all across Canada who had earned the most points over the last year. Points are awarded to the top three winners in each Individual category at sanctioned tournaments.
I competed in the Junior Division ages 14-17 for sparring, patterns and power breaking. Each country is allowed to take their top three girls for patterns and their top three girls for each weight division in sparring to the Worlds. I was also selected by the National coaches to be on the Team Sparring and Team Power Breaking for the World Championships. These are separate divisions from the Individual Events.
In order for me to compete at the World Championships my parents and I need to speak with corporate sponsors and continue a lot of fund-raising events to raise money for my training and travel expenses. As you can imagine the costs add up quickly. Any donations go towards training, seminars, certifications, uniforms, travel, lodging, and airfares. No donation is too small and is greatly appreciated!
If you know anyone that would be able to assist me, please email Kayla@ikicklikeagirl.com
I will be updating this website regularly with my competition results and letting people know how my training is going.
I have dedicated my life to training as well as competing on every school team, city soccer, maintaining good marks and giving back to the community as much as possible. You can read more about my achievements on the other links.
Many Thanks,
Kayla