Liesel Earns Taekwondo First Dan Black Belt

What did you do?

I earned my First Dan Black Belt in Taekwondo on my 16th birthday. I’ve been training in Taekwondo since I was two years old. I started training in Taekwondo when I lived in Peru. My dad is my instructor and coach. He used to compete internationally in Taekwondo representing his home country of Peru.

What organization recognized the achievement?

The High-Performance Institute of Taekwondo in Texas & Kukkiwon World Taekwondo Headquarters in South Korea.

How did homeschooling help you achieve your goal?

Homeschooling gave me the flexibility to focus on my training and put in the hundreds of hours of practice required each year to earn an internationally recognized black belt. It also gave me the time to refine my skills by competing at regional and national competitions, and visiting partner schools to train with their students.

What are your interests?

I like to go camping with my family and to be outdoors in nature. My favorite place to be in nature is at the beach. One of my favorite beaches is Crystal Cove State Park Beach in California.

What are you inspired to do with your life?

I’d like to have my own farm one day. I will probably have some cows because they are sweet animals. There are some dairy farms that are open to the public near where I live and I like to visit there and play with the calves.