Watsonville PAL Taekwondo: Korea-Bound

Five Watsonville kids will compete in the World Taekwondo Expo Championship Tournament in Seoul, South Korea, thanks in part to generous support from the community.

Elisa Partin (3rd dan), Xani Traub (1st dan), Corey Yamamoto Poom, Susan Mangan (3rd dan) and Dominique Saldana (yellow belt) will travel to the international event with their coach, Master Sam Traub, chaperones Martha Saldana and Maria Trabano, and Team Lisa Hernandez, the team "mom" and fundraising coordinator.

The kids are part of the taekwondo program at the , an organization that promotes athletics and other positive activities for Watsonville youth.

At the tournament, slated for June 30-July 13, the group will compete in extreme division for self-defense, breaking and synchronized poomse (forms), and in the regular event categories of Olympic sparring and traditional poomse.

While in Korea, the team also will take part in exclusive trainings with world-renowned masters and visit historical landmarks.

The kids have been training extensively with Traub and Grandmaster William Kim. They've also been fundraising for six months so they can afford the trip.

The effort has included car washes and events at local businesses such as , , , and . They've also sold T-shirts, held bake sales and rummage sales and sent out a fundraising letter. The team still is shy of the fundraising goal and is looking for donations. Contact PAL at 831-763-4146 for more information.

A team of five youth from the PAL program traveled to the World Taekwondo Expo Championship Tournament in 2009, where they won medals in self-defense, synchronized and traditional poomse.