Jhormary Rojas (Colombia)
“When you work with love, perseverance and interest, taekwondo accomplishes great things,” said the Colombian mother, speaking in a t-shirt emblazoned with the name of her daughter, Jhormary. “Though taekwondo, Jhormary has changed in unimaginable ways - including aspects of her life that medical therapies had not been able to overcome. “
Vika Marchuc (Ukraine)
Vika Marchuk, who was born with severely disabled arms, was abandoned as a baby and raised in an orphanage, suffering a hard life before being discovered by taekwondo coach Yuliya Volkova. Marchuk, then 22-years-old and previously a track and field athlete, was raised to championship level by Volkova’s patient coaching.