Oxfordian Life
We Have Municipal Champions
The students Diego Alejandro Lerma de la Cruz of Las Quintas Campus and Edgar Emmanuel Alvarado Villa of Vista Hermosa Campus were selected for the municipal team in taekwondo, to represent Reynosa on 23 March at the regional secondary-school qualifier for the School Games.
Both champions have in common that they are highly competitive, which has brought them great satisfaction from an early age thanks to their persistence.
In an interview, Edgar described how he began practising taekwondo at the age of 3 and how it became one of his great passions along with football, following in his parents’ footsteps — his mother having practised this martial art and his father the popular game of football.
At 12 he holds an advanced red belt and was champion of his category twice in a row at the Moo Duk Kwan national competition, at ages 7 and 8. But he does not rest on that experience: he trains through long sessions several times a week and finds his greatest motivation in his mother, who wants to see him representing Tamaulipas.
For all the support they give him, Edgar thanks his parents, Esdeyne Villa and Hugo Alvarado, as well as his coach, to whom he dedicates all his victories.
Diego — also 12 — prepares strenuously, training daily for several hours.
It was at the young age of 5 that he began practising taekwondo, and it became his favourite sport, of which he particularly enjoys the sparring. Since then his progress has been unbroken, up to the grade of red belt.
Persistence is one of his most outstanding qualities, and he has set himself the goal of winning the state stage of the School Games, continuing to accumulate victories and developing in this sport until he reaches black belt.
Taekwondo has brought him such satisfaction that he does not hesitate to recommend taking up this martial art, which “although it is difficult at first, is a discipline that teaches you a great deal, as well as serving as self-defence”.
He therefore thanks his parents Héctor Hugo Lerma and Nadia Yessica de la Cruz for this opportunity, and for the support they give him in practising this discipline.
Oxford congratulates both champions, encourages them to keep performing with great success and discipline, and recognises them as examples to follow for their effort, persistence and effectiveness.
