The Shiloh Testament Staff was recently informed that 9th grader Knight Stagg won a gold medal in the Junior Olympics. Eager to find out more, we interviewed him right away.
Shiloh Testament: First of all what sport did you compete in?
Knight Stagg: Tae Kwon Do
ST: How did you get into Tae Kwon Do?
KS: When I was in the third grade my mom and dad signed me up for it. I didn’t really want to go, but after a while I really started to enjoy it.
ST: Are there a lot of different Tae Kwon Do associations?
KS: Yes, I am in the AAU, which is the biggest one because it includes all the American Territories.
ST: Where are the Junior Olympics held?
KS: It’s in Des Moines, Iowa.
ST: How was it set up and did you have to qualify?
KS: It was organized by weight class, age and rank. I did have to qualify; I had to go to Houston, Texas on May 30th. We had to fight twice in two minute rounds. The top eight qualified, I placed third.
ST: What was the age range of the people there?
KS: 14-15
ST: What was the atmosphere like in the final round?
KS: I just took it one fight at a time. They gave me a different coach to practice with, and I didn’t really know I was in the finals till she told me.
ST: How did you train for this?
KS: I did sparing rounds everyday from May-July.
ST: Can you describe the final round?
KS: I walked out and saw the opponent, who was at the top of the weight class, and much taller than me. He got two points but both were deducted because he kicked me in the back. But I wasn’t ever behind him in points.
ST: Who is your coach and how did they prepare you for the Junior Olympics?
KS: My coach is Elvis Price, he’s from Fayetteville. He’s ranked 20th in the world for Tae Kwon Do. He’s my sparring partner; he kicks me in the head a lot.
ST: What was it like to get the gold medal?
KS: It’s hard to explain unless you’re there and you really want it. I worked for a year and a half for this and it’s a good feeling to know all that hard work paid off.
ST: What’s next for you, are you going to compete in the Junior Olympics again?
KS: Right now I’m training for nationals in November, to defend my title. Then I will also be training for the Junior Olympics next year, which will be in Virginia.
ST: What about the 2016 Olympics in Chicago?
KS: Yet to be determined. I’m looking into it. For that I will have to go to Oklahoma City three times a week for the next few years. It takes a lot of hard work. But it’s a possibility.
