Alena Viana, 18 years old is from Glendora, CA. She became the champion at the Junior Pan American Games in Cali Colombia, proving that she has a great future in Taekwondo.
With several years on the competition scene, Alena won the gold and with it, a place in the Pan American Games in Santiago 2023 +67 kg
Mundotaekwondo.com talked to her to know how she feels after obtaining these results.
MT. How do you feel about having achieved that Pan American medal?
I’m so excited to have won this tournament ! I’ve had a somewhat rough few months so it feels good to earn a medal.
MT. What school do you come from, who is your training teacher?.
I come from L3 Performance in Texas and my coach was Lynda Laurin. Right now, I am currently training at the USATKD academy with Gareth Brown and Paul Green.
MT. How did you experience the training before arriving in Cali?
The training before I went to Cali was very intense. Having come from a hard loss in the French Open, we really reviewed my match and worked off of my strengths.
MT. Did you know the rivals that you will meet in Cali? And what did you think of the level of the tournament?
I had a good idea of some of my competitors in Cali because I have fought some of them. I think the level of competition at the tournament was pretty high since the PanAm region has some very strong competitors.
MT. What did you feel when you were winning the matches to reach the final. That you thought?
As I was fighting, I was constantly reminded by my coach to just take the match one point at a time, and that’s what I did. When I was in the final, I was more ready than ever to step out into the ring and fight my hardest.
MT. Which technique worked the most for you in this tournament?
I think my cut kick was very strong this tournament. Along with this my punch was working very well
MT. With this result, many possibilities open up for you. What is your vision once you arrive in your country?
I am hoping that my gold medal will provide me with some more openings before I compete in Santiago in 2023, it also pushes me to continue to work harder so I can have a similar result in 2 years.
MT. What role did your federation, coach and teammates play in this result obtained?.
My entire team and federation gave me all the tools necessary to do my best. My teammates and coaches pushed me to be my best and my federation provided me with multiple opportunities to compete before I went to Cali.
MT. If you had to give a special thank you, who would you give it to?
I would like to thank my family since they are my biggest supporters! My family in and outside of Colorado
MT. What is your dream in sports?
My dream in this sport is to be an Olympic gold medalist and represent my country well.
Personal / favorite things
- Town: Colorado Springs
- Colour:Rainbow
- Meal:Tacos
- Number: 4
- Hobbie:Art
- Animal:Cats
- Alternative sport:Muay Thai
- Sign: Gemini
- Book; The Giver.
Carlos Hernández (MT).
