Congratulations to Brahma siblings Karyn (senior) and Ryan (sophomore) Real. They recently returned from Taipei, Taiwan, where they competed in the 11th World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships. This is the highest possible level for Taekwondo Poomsae. While Taekwondo is an Olympic sport, the specialty of Poomsae is not.
Out of the 40 girls who competed in the 15-17 division, Karyn placed 3rd. Out of the 37 boys who competed in the 15-17 division, Ryan placed 3rd. Most notable is that each competitor in their division was the representative of a different country. The Real’s were the sole representatives of the U.S. in their divisions.
Karyn says that she hopes to return to the next World Championships (2020) and eventually become a world champion. She plans to continue competing Taekwondo at the collegiate level, hopefully representing USA at the Universiade Games and Pan American Games.
Ryan says that his long-term goal is to eventually become a world champion and also represent the U.S. in the Olympics.
KARYN: “At this worlds I was fortunate enough to beat the top seed and favorite to win, Korea, in an upset during my quarterfinal round. Korea is well-respected in Taekwondo and is acknowledged for winning nearly every division, so this was a proud moment for me. I had gone into the match expecting defeat but hoping to still show my skills and enjoy the game, and that mindset helped me progress through to the medal rounds (semifinals) in a win that even shocked me. This is my 4th year as a part of the USA National Team and my second time representing USA at the World Championships, but my first time medaling, so I was especially proud and honored to be standing on the podium wearing the USA Flag.”
PROFILE: https://www.teamusa.org/usa-taekwondo/athletes/Karyn-Real
RYAN: “I think it’s pretty interesting that this marks my fourth year on the USA National Team. I am very honored and humbled to have been given so many opportunities to represent my country at such high level competitions. I am also very grateful for the support of my parents, my siblings, my teammates, and my school for facilitating my endeavors into this sport.”
PROFILE: https://www.teamusa.org/usa-taekwondo/athletes/Ryan-Real