Grand Prix Series 3
London
Athlete in Focus
FIGHTING BACK Korean heavyweight beats opponents – and cancer Kyo-Don “The Bear” In KOREA Team Korea’s Kyo-don In won gold against the world’s best taekwondo fighters at the London Grand Prix Series 3 – but the hard-kicking opponents on the mats were far less formidable than the deadly enemy In has been battling in recent years. In started the sport at age seven, and by 10, was competing. Always a big, strong lad, he was nicknamed “The Bear.” An obvious talent, he decided to major in taekwondo at the elite, martial art-focused Yongin University in Korea. As a fighter, he first came to global prominence when he won gold at the 2015 Summer Universiade in Gwangju, Korea. Then, at the age of 21 in 2013 the hard-driving In discovered a lump on his neck. “I left it at the time, because I thought it was related to muscle, since I exercised hard every day,” he recalled. “But it stayed there for over a year.” He finally visited a doctor. After several examinations, he was told what the problem was. What he learned stunned him.
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TAEKWONDO Official Publication of WT
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