Dedication, perseverance and hard work are traits that often breed success.
Simón Rodriguez, a senior in exercise and sports science, has developed these characteristics through tae kwon do, and now he is reaping his rewards.
Rodriguez recently made it on the national collegiate tae kwon do team after winning the collegiate national tournament in Colorado. He will be traveling to South Korea in August with seven other students from differing age divisions to compete.
He has been competing in the national tournament for five years with the hope of winning, and at last he has reached his goal.
“I set these goals for myself a long time ago, and I’m the kind of person that when I set a goal, I have to do it. If I don’t, I go a little crazy. [Tae kwon do] is something that I’ve loved to do ever since I can remember,” he said.
Rodriguez started tae kwon do at age eight because he always loved Bruce Lee and kung fu movies. At 12, he received his black belt and competed in the U.S. Open, but when he got his “butt kicked,” he was ready to quit and spend more time with basketball, another passion of his. Two years later, his mom showed him a video of one of his favorite tae kwon do fighters, and the flame was re-ignited. The determination has stuck ever since.
“Tae kwon do is my passion, so it keeps me sane. When I get really stressed out with school or whatever, going to workout and train keeps me stress free. It’s hard, of course, because you have to make time for it, but it’s something I really want to make time for,” he said.
Rodriguez has traveled to Mexico and Spain to compete in the past, even fighting an opponent who competed in the 2012 Olympics. Now he is going to Korea, and he is excited to represent the United States and the U.
There is a chance for him to go to the Olympics, but it depends on several factors, such as how his weight division does overall. Rodriguez was just accepted into the U’s pharmacy program and hopes to continue with the sport and perhaps make it to the Olympics. Right now, he is in the gym for 10 to 12 hours a week with his trainer, Will Pace.
Rodriguez’s ability to balance school and tae kwon do has impressed Pace.
“School is always a priority. We will train early in the morning or late at night to make sure he gets his school work done,” he said.
Rodriguez serves as an example because of his strong work ethic ­— something Pace hopes his other students can learn from. Rodriguez is the first person Pace has trained to make it on the national collegiate team, and he is proud of Rodriguez’s accomplishment.
The U has a tae kwon do club that brought students to the national collegiate tournament, and Rodriguez thinks it is great for the club to help the growth of the sport. One reason Rodriguez continues is because of the supportive community tae kwon do fosters. His own self motivation keeps him going as well.
“Going into a ring and fighting someone that wants to beat you up … if you can accomplish that, it’s almost like there’s nothing else that’s scarier to do. You find out a lot about yourself in the sport, too. When you’re training and your coach is pushing you, you find out who you are as a person,” he said. “You go in there and give everything you have. After that, confronting life issues — whether it’s family problems or stress with school or anything — you kind of learn to deal with it.”
Rodriguez is also competing at the national team trials in July to join the U.S. team while maintaining his position on the national collegiate team.