Two local youths beat all odds to become AAU Junior Olympic National Champions

Reese and Myka Wydra, aged 8 and 10, respectively, beat all the odds and competed against Junior Olympic athletes from all over the United States and territories for gold, silver and bronze medals in the Amateur Athletic Union Junior Olympic Championships held in Des Moines, Iowa from July 26 to Aug. 5.

Competitors in over 20 sports including Para categories, gathered in Iowa at various venues including Drake University.

Reese and Myka Wydra competed in the Taekwondo competitions in five different divisions. These two outstanding athletes dominated their divisions, winning gold medals for every division.

Reese and Myka first joined McHenry Taekwondo Academy approximately three years ago and have developed their competition skills through special drill and sparring classes. And it worked! Their perseverance has paid off.

Each of these girls competed in the 2023 AAU Regional Championships in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Iowa. They both medaled at each qualifier and event. These victories qualified them to compete at the National Junior Olympic Taekwondo Championships in 2021, 2022, and 2023, at which there are generally over 5,000 competitors, and which is the largest annual amateur sports event in the world (for a single sport). Their goal is to qualify for and compete in AAU National Team Trials in 2024.

"Indomitable Spirit" is one of the tenets of Taekwondo and Reese and Myka certainly personify this tenet. No matter how difficult the classes are, they keep coming back, and always with a smile and a cheery hello before the class.

Taekwondo is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. In the United States alone, there are over 12 million registered practitioners. It is also the newest Olympic Sport. Taekwondo and was officially sanctioned as a full medal Olympic sport in September of 1994.

While it is important to provide a child with the discipline associated with taekwondo, it is equally important to select a school which has only certified instructors. Students should be encouraged to attend three or four classes a week. The more often they attend class, the faster they learn and the more they retain. Care should be taken to assure that the black belt certification is done through the world governing body for the sport and not just the local school or organization.

A student should also feel comfortable when visiting a school. If this comfort level is not there, a student cannot learn. McHenry Taekwondo Academy is the only school in Lake and McHenry Counties which is affiliated with the USA Taekwondo and the World Taekwondo Federation. It is also the only taekwondo school in Lake and McHenry counties which is also affiliated and registered with the Pan American and Olympic organizations and which teaches strictly according to the rules and regulations set down by the Olympic Committee.

Classes are held daily (except Sunday) at McHenry Taekwondo Academy. The academy is located next to Ed's Rental at 908 N. Front St. in McHenry. For more details, call (815) 344-2027.

If you wish further information on the McHenry Elementary District 15 scholarship program, you may ask your school principal for further information. The scholarship program for this school year should be announced at your school sometime in August.

History of the AAU Junior Olympic Games

The AAU Junior Olympic Games originated from "telegraphic" state track and field competitions. National champions were determined through telephone and/or mail entries instead of head-to-head competition. In 1949, the AAU conducted its first 'live' national meet in Cleveland, Ohio - giving birth to the AAU Youth Sports Program. Because of the success of the national track and field head-to- head competition, AAU leaders solicited support from the business and corporate sector. The Chevrolet Division of General Motors Corporation and the Quaker Oats Company assisted the AAU in their vision of the number of youngsters that could be helped.

As the popularity of the AAU Youth Sports Program increased, the AAU leaders decided to conduct two national championships simultaneously. The idea came to fruition when Vice-President Hubert H. Humphrey proclaimed the first AAU Junior Olympic Games open on Aug. 21, 1967 in downtown Washington, D.C. at the Departmental Auditorium on Constitution Avenue. Five hundred twenty-three athletes competed in the inaugural AAU Junior Olympic Games in Washington, D.C. in 1967. National champions were determined in swimming and track and field. Eighteen AAU records in swimming and three in track and field were established.

Since its beginning in Washington, D.C., the AAU Junior Olympic Games have been conducted in 19 states and 30 cities across the United States. The state of Tennessee leads the way with six AAU Junior Olympic Games to its credit. "There's nothing junior about it" has become the theme of the AAU Junior Olympic Games while growing to over 16,000 participants in over 20 sports. The Games popularity has exploded to now represent all 50 states and several United States territories.

The AAU Junior Olympic Games are known as the largest national multisport event for youth in the United States. It has become the showcase event of the AAU Sports Program. The future hosts include Des Moines, Iowa; Hampton Roads, Virginia; Houston, Texas; Detroit, Mich., and Greensboro, N.C.

The AAU is one of the largest, nonprofit, volunteer sports organizations in the country. As a multisport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs. The AAU philosophy of "Sports for All, Forever" is shared by over 670,000 members and 60,000 volunteers nationwide. Over 34 sports are offered in the 57 AAU Districts. Programs offered by the AAU include: AAU Sports Program, AAU Junior Olympic Games, AAU James E. Sullivan Memorial Award and the AAU Complete Athlete Program.

The AAU was founded in 1888 to establish standards and uniformity in amateur sports. During its early years, the AAU served as a leader in international sport representing the United States in the international sports federations. The AAU worked closely with the Olympic movement to prepare athletes for the Olympic Games. After the Amateur Sports Act of 1978 and the establishment of the United States Olympic Committee, the AAU has focused its efforts into providing sports programs for participants of all ages beginning at the grass-roots level.