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SPRING/SUMMER 2022
SPRING/SUMMER 2022
POWER AND PERSISTENCE: Ward Salman’s journey to the top of the Taekwondo world “Let’s do this!” Ward Salman ‘18, signed off on our initial email correspondence. Her spirited, ‘can do’ attitude emanates through our virtual exchange. It is this “can do” attitude, coupled with impressive drive and determination, that has propelled Ms. Salman to the top of the global Taekwondo ladder. Currently ranked #34 in the world for her weight class (out of 238 others competing in the same category), Ward is the reigning Lebanese National Taekwondo Champion (a title she has held since 2012) and the 2020 Arab World Taekwondo Champion. Ward has made many sacrifices along her path to success - free time in the afternoons, both knees, an ankle, college abroad, Saturday morning sleep-ins. But, it is all she has known since she first stepped on the mat at age four. How did a four year girl become so enthralled with this Martial Arts form, characterized by its head-height kicks, open-handed strikes, punches, joint locks, and spinning jump kicks, you might wonder? Well, it starts like many epic love stories do: Once upon a time, there was a boy. And a girl, trying to get his attention. “I used to do ballet with my friends. I was tall, wearing this tutu while everyone else was so elegant. Then, well, my mom says I was ‘in love’ with this boy who was also at IC with me.” Ward recounts, grinning. “He was a bit of a chubby kid and his mom thought that Taekwondo might be a good exercise, so she found a coach that he started training with. I was kind of a tom boy - I wanted to be a superhero and hang out with the boys. I was always begging my mom, ‘I don’t want to do ballet, I want to do Taekwondo with him. Finally one day she gave in and let me try. That first session, I wore a Spiderman suit! I haven’t stopped yet,” she laughs.
17 years later, the epic love lives on. Only now, Ward’s sights are not set on a boy, but on a gold medal. Ward’s progression to the top of Lebanon’s Taekwondo tier was more of a natural chain of events rather than intentional decision. Though the martial art was not that well known in Lebanon when she first began, it was popular amongst her friends, and she slowly built a community over the years. While most of her friends started to drift away from the sport in Middle School, for Ward, it was just beginning. She loved it and, moreover, was already proving her skill. She earned her blackbelt at 11, and by 12, she had begun competing at the regional and international levels. Her first competition was in Bahrain, where she won a silver medal - second place. Later that year, she competed at the Cadet (Under 14s) category in the Taekwondo World Championships, where she won 5th place - a hugely impressive achievement for a competition of that caliber. Slowly, it became clear to Ward and those around her that Taekwondo was her priority. She fell into a routine - balancing the physically demanding sport and academically demanding environment at IC. “I never knew it any other way,” she states. “It was hard, but I managed, especially with the amazing support of my family. My parents used to take me to training everyday. My mom would pick me up from school at 4pm. I would eat lunch in the car, go to training while my mom waited in the mall because it was too much going back and forth, and then we would go home.”
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“There were a lot of sacrifices made,” she adds. “I’m really grateful for my family.”
surgery but I resisted because I had competitions and couldn’t afford the recovery time.”
Though Taekwondo was always a passion and priority, it was not until her second year at AUB that she realized she was essentially operating on a professional level. “I always thought I was on this higher level, but it was not actually the case. When I was in school, I wasn’t as committed as I am now. I realized this in my second year at AUB, when I started to schedule my classes around my training…”
Fast forward to 2017, her other knee dislocated in a snowboarding accident. She needed surgery on both legs, and this time, saying no was not an option. She did surgery on one leg, recovered, then surgery on the other, and recovered.
Today, training is Ward’s main priority. Despite a series of personal setbacks and global challenges that have hindered her journey these past 3 years, Ward is ready to dedicate herself to training and competing at the professional level. “Taekwondo is a combative sport. It’s not ideal for someone who is a bit older, and the prime age is from your teens to your late 20s. So now is my peak time. Now is the time for me to do what I’ve been working towards for 16 years.” Since competitions have picked up again this spring, Ward has already been to Sweden, Serbia, and Spain. When we spoke, she was gearing up for the Asia Championship in Korea, (the birthplace of Taekwondo) this June. As of June 27, Ward won third place in said competition - a bronze medal. A huge achievement. All of these local and regional competitions are, of course, helping Ward work towards her dream: The 2024 Olympics. Lebanon has only sent two athletes to the world’s preeminent sporting competition for Taekwondo. With her steadfast commitment and steady confidence, I think it’s safe to say Ward has a very good shot at being the third. The path, of course, has not been without bumps. A series of injuries forced Ward to put a pause on her Taekwondo career towards the end of her IC years. “I’m a very active and clumsy person,” she states. “In Grade 7, I dislocated my knee. I recovered and continued with training, but a few years later, I was doing a turning kick, and it popped out again. The doctor said I should have
The cherry on top? Soon after her 18th birthday, she injured her ankle in a motorcycle accident, and needed yet another surgery. “I was on crutches on my first day at AUB!” she exclaims. These injuries, Ward relays, have been the most challenging part of her journey. And not just physically, but mentally, too. “So many times I was so close, and then had to start all over again. And it wasn’t just once - it was the first time, the second time, the third time. It was very hard mentally. Every time I injured myself again, it was even harder than the time before because I knew what to expect. I knew what I would have to go through. I was in a really low mood, but I had an amazing support system - my family, my friends, my school. Everyone was so understanding and helpful.” What got her through was her passion for Taekwondo. “All I could think about was how I could get back. I did physio everyday to recover as quickly as possible.” This tumultuous journey has only strengthened Ward’s drive to compete at the highest level. “I’ve had many drawbacks in my career which prevented me from getting the results I wanted earlier. Now, for the first time I’m able to be fully focused and committed.” What does this full commitment look like? At the moment, Ward trains twice a day, every day. In the mornings it’s fitness, gym and weights, and in the afternoon, it’s Taekowndo. On Saturdays, she “only” trains in the mornings - running for an hour, and training for an hour and a half from 8:30 to 11. Ward is a professional athlete. She is part of Lebanon’s National Taekwondo team and dedicates most of her time
