Dela Cruz to represent Canada at international taekwondo event in Peru

Dela Cruz to represent Canada at international taekwondo event in Peru

ALVIE DE LA CRUZ: Fil-Can wins another
taekwondo gold, to represent Canada in Peru games.

By Mila Astorga-Garcia

TORONTO–Maria Alvie Dela Cruz, a multi-awarded Filipino-Canadian athlete, will represent Canada at the 10th World Poomsae Championships in Peru, Sept. 30 – Oct. 03, 2016, as the Canadian champion in poomsae taekwondo in the recently held premier national taekwondo event.

Dela Cruz won top medals at the 2016 Canadian National Taekwondo Championships held at the Olympic Oval in Calgary, Alberta, May 13, 2016. She won gold in the Senior Female Individual Poomsae competition and won silver in the Senior Female Team Poomsae, with teammates Alissa Juman and Erika Caldwell.

Earlier this year, Dela Cruz won the silver medal at the Canada Open Taekwondo Championships held in Montreal, Feb 14, 2016, placing second to the Chinese Taipei contender.

Having garnered the most number of winning points in the two qualifying competitions – the Canadian National, and the Canada Open Taekwondo Championships — Dela Cruz won the privilege of representing Canada at the prestigious World Poomsae Championships, which she calls “the poomsae version of the Olympics.”

Qualifying for the 2016 World Poomsae Championships was her greatest wish last year, which she had expressed during The Philippine Reporter interview following her big win at the Pan Am Poomsae Championships in Aguascalientes, Mexico, Sept. 10, 2015. There she won gold in the Female Junior Individual 3rd Dan division, and bronze in the Female Junior Team division. (See “16-year old Filipina Canadian wins Pan Am golds in taekwondo” The Philippine Reporter, Sept. 25, 2015).

Maria Alvie displays her Gold Medal with Dad Alvin

Dela Cruz, a 17 year-old Grade 12 graduating student of St. Rock Catholic School, credits her success in her sport to Rhon Rose Martial Arts school in Scarborough; her training mentors: Master Bhajan Mann, Master Timothy Johl and Master Alex Aguirre; and her parents who have always been supportive of her passion for the sport.

Also travelling with her to Peru as participants at the 2016 World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships are Rose Lagran, silver medalist in the Cadet Poomsae Individual Division, and gold medalist with her team; and Rhon Lagran, bronze medalist in the Junior Male Poomsae Team Division and gold medalist with his team.

Taekwondo is a 2000-year old martial art from Korea which is practiced in two distinct styles: sparring, which is the combative type seen in the Summer Olympics and Toronto’s recent Pan Am Games, and poomsae, which is a non-contact form of taekwondo. In poomsae where there is no gear used and points are awarded through accuracy of movement, attitude is key. Dela Cruz once described her sport in a previous interview as “like dancing… there are patterns to do certain movements and motions… you have to think, you have to be calm, and you can’t be too nervous.”

In a recent interview with The Philippine Reporter, Dela Cruz revealed her deep passion for her sport. Regardless of the outcome of her performance in the Peru competition, which she remains optimistic about, she says she will continue Poomsae as a competitive sport. As she enters the University of Waterloo in its Life Science Program in the fall, she is determined to join the University Games which could take her to even more international competitions such as the 2017 World University Games in Chinese Taipei.

A secret for her success is just enjoying the sport she loves. Her simple advice to young people who want to succeed: “If you enjoy what you are doing, you should continue doing it.”

enior Female PoomsaeTeam: Alvie (center) with Erika Caldwell and Alissa Juman