Richards Bay taekwondo star Tyrin van Rooyen was crowned world champion
The 13-year-old Richards Bay Christian School pupil attained his place in the South African team for the first time after many years of hard work and dedication
LOCAL taekwondo star Tyrin van Rooyen was crowned world champion for sparring in his age, weight and belt category after taking gold at the Unified World Championships held in Argentina earlier this month.
The 13-year-old Richards Bay Christian School pupil attained his place in the South African team for the first time after many years of hard work and dedication.
The Grade 8 pupil has been with the Richards Bay Stingers Club for seven years and has collected many accolades.
Tyrin has achieved his Veritas colours twice, KZN development colours four times and his South African colours recently.
He picked up gold in the sparring section after defeating two Argentinians on points.
But it’s not just a mighty punch that this talented youngster is packing.
He plays rugby and cricket for his school’s first teams, attended KICKSA in 2015 and 2016 for athletics and swimming, fishes in the Zululand league for the Tugela Angling Club, won a number of enduro races on his KX125 earlier this year and won in his age category at the Richards Bay Christian School and KwaMbonambi Big 5 10km MTB rides this year.
But he loves taekwondo and has taken seven years to get to where he is today and has another four years left before achieving his 3rd Dan black belt.
One starts with a white belt and then progresses to yellow, green, blue and red.
Students have to achieve a minimum average of 60 percent in their theory tests and have to pass fitness, patterns, sparring, power breaking and self defense tests before moving onto the next belt.
Tyrin trains twice a week for an hour-and-a-half on his taekwondo and was put onto a strict diet and training programme leading up to the world championships.
He trains additionally twice a week for an hour at a time on his endurance.
Tyrin likes to fish and hang out with friends in his spare time like any other teenager.
‘Going overseas was amazing and a very good experience. The climax was huge and the competitors looked tough, but I persisted with my own routine which payed off in the end,’ said Van Rooyen.
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