FOURSOME’S BIG LEAP FORWARD

A SPINE-TINGLING experience in front of a raucous crowd has Geelong taekwondo exponents believing they can turn heads on the international stage.

Four Elite Taekwondo Australia Geelong athletes — Sarah Trainor, Padraic Lithgow, Nathaniel Kallipolitis and Alan Salek — took part in the Australian Open and President’s Cup on the Gold Coast in June, which welcomed players from around the world for a high-octane competition.

Salek earned a bronze medal at both events, while Kallipolitis won one fight before going down in the bronze medal match in the President’s Cup. While they all did not taste success, Salek says the experience of performing in front of a big crowd to be a major confidence boost for the quartet.

“We all fought international fighters who came over for the week,” he said. “It was pretty massive. The efforts the guys put in were awesome and it was a massive crowd and they loved it.

“It’s a lot of motivation so it was a first taste at that level of competition for some of us, so just giving it a go adds a lot of fuel to the fire toward representing Australia overseas.”

Salek said the impact of a solid performance could encourage high-profile international athletes to visit Geelong, boosting local skills.

“The connections you make at an international event like that are amazing. You meet people from different culture, and we’re all similar how we train, but you have so much to learn from each other as well,” he said.