What started as an activity to help him gain confidence and keep himself safe turned 10-year-old Preston Edwards into a world champion. Preston recently won two world titles in traditional forms and weapons at the American Taekwondo Association World Championships.
Preston, who began studying Taekwondo at age six, earned his first-degree black belt in December 2017. At a competition in Little Rock, he competed against other male athletes his age and rank from around the globe. After a training break limited the number of points he could earn to qualify, Preston earned a wild card spot after placing first in several categories at the district level.
Preston’s mom, Brittany Edwards, says leading up to the tournament, Preston would practice at least an hour per day at home plus Monday-Friday hour-long practices at ATA Inspired Martial Arts studio in Denham Springs with the help of his instructor, Senior Master Jason Dendy.
A fifth grader at Seventh Ward Elementary, Preston will continue to train for next year’s world championship when he will rank up to the 11- to 12-year-old level. “He attained his goals so quickly that we’ve had to set new goals,” Brittany says. “Winning three titles in a year is called a triple crown, and he’d like to do that.”
Preston, Brittany and Preston’s dad, Lane Edwards, travel almost every weekend for tournaments, where athletes earn points for their rankings. And we believe that Preston will continue to thrive and succeed in Taekwondo and much more because he is one amazing kid.
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