Lee family guides Haiti to big successes in taekwondo | Sports
Champlin Park senior and taekwondoin Jessica Lee has written a chapter of history after guiding Haiti to its first-ever gold medal in the Central American and Caribbean Games, topping the podium in women’s taekwondo.
The games welcomed 37 countries to Santo Domingo, the capital city of the Dominican Republic, to compete in 501 events across 56 sports or disciplines.
While Lee has recently made a major splash in the Brooklyn Park-area after a 25-goal season with the girls soccer team at Champlin Park and committing to play NCAA DI women’s soccer at the University of St. Thomas, she is even more accomplished in her martial art of choice.
Jessica Lee’s route to gold was cleared by a 2-0 win over Allison Montano of El Salvador and a 2-1 win over Mayer Mejia of the Dominican Republic in the quarterfinals and semifinals. Lee then beat Mexico’s Karla Rodriguez 2-0 in a straight set victory in the final to win gold, marking Haiti’s first time doing so at the games in Central American and Caribbean Games-history.
Jessica Lee’s first win was her most dominant, winning 12-2 and 17-2 against her Salvadorian opponent. The semifinal against an athlete from the host nation was the tightest contest, with Lee having to comeback from a round one loss (8-3) to win 6-3 and 4-2, making the most of points deductions on Mejia. Lee then conceded little to nothing in the final, beating Rodriguez 1-0, 9-0.
Lee told the Sun Post that her historic experience at the games was truly one to remember.
“It feels amazing to win the first ever gold medal in taekwondo at the Central American and Caribbean games,” she said. “I’m super proud of myself for what I was able to accomplish at such a young age and it feels great to see all of my hard work pay off. Going into the games, my goal was to compete at my best and to represent team Haiti the best I could. Winning a gold medal is something I also wanted, but making history for Haiti by winning the first gold medal made it even more special to me. This moment means so much to me and I’m super grateful for this experience.”
Lee balances two sports in her life, but noted that growing in both has been mutually beneficial for her taekwondo and soccer journeys.
“I think by doing both taekwondo and soccer has helped me in a lot of ways,” Lee continued. “Soccer has helped me with my endurance and footwork, while taekwondo has helped with my flexibility, explosiveness, and confidence. Both sports have helped me grow as a person, and the skills that I’ve learned from each sport have helped me become a better athlete overall.”
Family and community
Lee was joined at the games by her sister and Pan American junior gold medalist, Ava Soon Lee, who was the flag bearer for Haiti at the opening ceremonies.
Ava Soon Lee, who arrived at the games already a multiple time medalist at the Pan American Games and Pan American championships, also impressed last week with a bronze finish at 73 kg, beating Mexico’s Isabella Lovaglio 2-0 in the third place match.
Both sisters’ have a powerful bond with the Haitian program through their father, Eui Yong Lee, a highly-accomplished coach in the martial art. Eui Yong Lee serves as Haiti’s head coach and is also the grandmaster in charge of the World Taekwondo Academy’s Maple Grove/Plymouth location.
Both representing Haiti and being present at an international event that brings many countries together has provided Lee with new and big experiences. She told the Sun Post that being a part of a new wave for Haiti has been a special opportunity.
“Representing Team Haiti at the games has been such an honor, and I’m super grateful for this experience,” the Champlin Park senior explained. “After my father finished coaching the USA team, he worked with other national teams and an opportunity arose to help build the Olympic program in all sports in Haiti. When he transitioned to Haiti, he brought my sisters and I and other athletes to help be ambassadors of sports in Haiti. Being able to compete on such a big stage means a lot to me. I’ve also enjoyed meeting new athletes from different countries and trading shirts, pins, and also competing against them was another great experience. I created a lot of memories that I will remember forever.”
It is truly a family affair for the Lees. Jessica Lee noted that being able to experience everything over the last few weeks with her sister at her side has made everything especially joyous.
“Having my family alongside me at the games made it even more special for me,” she observed. “They’ve supported me throughout my whole taekwondo journey so to have won this and share the moment with them means so much to me. It was amazing to win a medal alongside my sister Ava. Ava and I train together every day and push each other to our best. We both have trained so hard for this moment so to see that it is paying off for the both of us means everything. Being able to share this moment with her and my family is very special to me and I’m just super blessed for my family’s and teammates’ support.”