I went to Rome and got two black eyes ... and a gold medal

Local columnist

link Audra Brown

January is a big month. The start of a new year, lots of erased dates, and an extra column from me squeezed in.

Wow, I just realized that I’ve been writing this column for six months. Dadgum! It just seems like yesterday that I awkwardly introduced myself to all ya’ll.

I hope that somewhere in that time I’ve said something that you enjoyed or at least made you laugh a little. I know that I’ve enjoyed writing and I’m looking forward to all the stories I find this year.

Back in July, I mentioned some upcoming events of not insignificant magnitude. Namely, I told you about the local black belts headed to Rome to compete in the Taekwondo World Championships on behalf of the good ol’ US of A. It goes against my writerly principles to leave the reader hanging…

…for too long.

So, I figured it was time to reveal the end of that story.

Five local athletes went to Rome and five returned, with no pieces missing and a collection of beautiful black eyes to match the ones they sent to several other countries around the world. (I got two!)

All of these black belts proved they were among the best in the world and I am proud to call them my friends, students, and fellow athletes.

All returned with new knowledge and stories to tell. Two returned with a new weight around their necks. Miss Maeve Brown, a farmer, rancher, rascal, second-degree black belt, (and my sister, so I’m double proud) brought home the bronze medal in special technique breaking.

That’s an event where the boards are placed way up high (6.5 feet and up), or otherwise requiring serious acrobatics just to reach, and then the black belt has to jump and kick these improbable targets with enough precision and force to break the board. It’s pretty neat.

During the trip, our family spent a lot of time admiring the lush, green fields of Italy and the even greener landscape of Switzerland. I irrevocably increased my addiction to espresso, we got to see marvels and wonders of ancient civilization that were surreal in their scope and precision. We saw Enzo Ferrari’s house, the hometown of the violin, and survived a week of riding the Rome Metro Transit System.

Audra Brown won gold in power breaking (again) and is now a two-time world champion. Contact her at: [email protected]