Many of the competitors who will participate in this World Cup in the Netherlands came to Taekwon-do at the hands of their parents from a very young age, but the story of Amanda Cheney is one of the most special. “I watched my parents compete in Italy at the World Championships in 2001, and again in Korea in 2004. That inspired me to participate in this higher level of competition.”
Amanda Cheney, US representative started Taekwon-do at the age of 4. “I started competing at that age in small local tournaments. Eventually, that turned into bigger competitions with trips across the US.”
Her first World Championships as a competitor was in Australia 2006, “I was a 13-year-old girl in second grade weighing about 80lbs so I got beaten up quite a bit and didn’t win any gold medals. After that though I was extremely motivated to become a much better competitor. Since then I kept competing and setting myself new goals each time. Through 6 worlds, I have received a gold medal in 5 of them, along with many other silvers and bronzes. My first gold medal In singles it was England in 2016 in adult women, which is the most special for me since I had been trying for so long and always getting silver and bronze.”
For the World Cup in Argentina, she chose not to compete because she was studying at nursing school and couldn’t train as much, so she went as a coach. After graduating as a nurse, she got married and had a baby. These new roles in Cheney’s life presented a real challenge in preparing for the World Cup. “Preparation meant managing my time with my son and my job as an ER nurse. It’s been hard. It’s been many exhausting and long days and nights, with my son spending most of his time watching me train.”
That increased effort increased motivation to “show the world that I’m still a competitive threat and that even a working mom can do anything and win too. I’m excited for my son to be there in the Netherlands to see me win and be on the podium with me.” .”
As a ritual before entering to compete, he enters his own mental “zone” to concentrate solely on winning. “I put my headphones on and ignore the rest of the world. I meditate a bit and have a warm-up routine. I also get some motivation from my coach, who is also my father and has been by my side through every round of competition, coach Head of Team USA Master Jeff Hurben. I only talk to him, my mother Heidi, who is also a veteran competitor and current trainer, and a few very select others who I know will only further encourage me before I step into the ring.”
At the World Cup that begins on July 26, Amanda Cheney will not only participate as a competitor, she will also captain the adult women’s team. “I will also be an assistant coach to other members of the USA team”
Her goals for this ITF World Championships are many, “to show the world that even a mother with a hectic life can be successful and do great things… that my son sees this, feels proud of me and learns that hard work and dedication leads to great things… seeing my dad with that smile on his face and tears in his eyes”, although all of them are always linked to the pride and joy of showing so much effort and dedication. In strictly sporting matters, although not unrelated to other goals, Cheney has one wish: “to win gold in as many events as I can and achieve the all-around adult female at Worlds, a title that has eluded me for years.”