When asked about how she got started in Taekwondo Karyn had this to say… “I’ve been practicing Taekwondo since I was 7, and began my competitive career in 2010. I earned my first National Team spot in 2014 for the Auguascalientes World Championships. Since then I have been on the USA National Team 9 times, including three World Championships teams, four Pan Am Championships teams, and the 2019 Pan American Games team. I have also been competing for MIT Taekwondo since freshman year, and this year earned the Collegiate National Champion title, as well as Eastern Collegiate Taekwondo Conference MVP. My most notable international achievements include a bronze medal at the Taipei 2018 World Championships, and a gold and a bronze at the Lima 2019 Pan Am Games. I am currently ranked #1 in USA for the Senior Female individual rankings, and #2 in the World Taekwondo rankings for Senior Female.” 

 

When asked about the journey to this incredible opportunity Karyn said “Based on my previous year’s performance and my position as rank #1 nationally, I was invited to compete at the USA National Team Trials in February, held in Colorado Springs. I competed in two days of head-to-head competition, and won the individual and pairs events to earn my spot on the National Team to go to the 2022 World Championships in Goyang, South Korea. After that, I participated in National Team training camps in Colorado Springs as well as in South Korea, and the competition was held April 21-24. I finished 5th place in both the senior female individual and senior pair events. 

 

I trained very intensively for years for this opportunity, and although I didn’t achieve the podium finish I had been working towards, it was an honor to wear USA on my uniform once again and I am proud of my performance — I believe that I grew a lot as an athlete from this experience. This was also my first World Championships since I came to MIT, and although it was difficult at times to balance my academic and athletic pursuits, I have been very lucky to have had the support of my professors and peers at MIT throughout my preparation and competition.

 

I am often asked in interviews how and why I continue to compete at the elite level, especially as a college student, and the answer is simply that I love doing Taekwondo. I’m very lucky to have the privilege of doing this sport and I still enjoy competing after all these years. As I get older and busier, I face more moments of self-doubt and encounter more obstacles in efforts to remain at the same level of competitiveness, but every part of my Taekwondo career has been worth every sacrifice. I truly cherish every moment, even the most difficult ones because they have shown me what I have the strength to overcome.

 

I am now preparing for a series of domestic competitions and looking forward to the next set of team trials for international competitions over the next few years, including the 2023 Pan Am Games, 2023 University Games, and 2024 World Championships.”

You can find more information about Karyn and her accomplishments with team USA on her bio here – https://www.teamusa.org/usa-taekwondo/athletes/Karyn-Real.