Star Weekly is taking a look back at 2023. Here’s one of our biggest stories from last year.
A 14-year-old Bacchus Marsh taekwondo champion has qualified for the Australian Championships, but needs help from her community to get her there.
Isidora has been practicing taekwondo for four years, is already a second dan black belt and has won more than 10 medals in the sport.
Most recently, she came home with the gold medal from the State Championship in May.
At 10 years old, Isidora said she wasn’t that interested in taekwondo, but now she loves it.
“My mum put me into it because I was a very shy person and she thought a sport like this could help bring up my confidence,” she said.
“After my first tournament I won a gold medal, and it excited me to continue taekwondo.
“I like how it gives me a challenge, something I can work on and use in life.”
Isidora has qualified for the Australian Taekwondo National Championships 2023 in Perth on October 13, but has needed to set up a fundraiser with the help of her mother, Dani Colevic, to cover the estimated $2500 cost of the trip.
Dani said the family is a one-income household and the flights, accommodation, fighting gear and entry fees are expensive.
“Isidora is a young and fired taekwondo athlete with a dream to one day be a part of the Australian national team. Having contributions from our community would show a unified support towards isidora and getting there one day,” she said.
Isidora said competing in nationals would mean “so much”, and that it would make the time and effort she’s put into competing all worth it.
