CHUNCHEON, Korea (Oct. 2, 2024) - Dany Coy understands the power of Taekwondo to catalyse positive changes in indigenous communities as well as anyone at the World Taekwondo Junior Championships.

 

The 46-year-old 3^rd dan from Guatemala discovered Taekwondo back in 1991, and has served as a coach in the mountainous department of Alta Verapaz in northern Guatemala since 1997 after receiving support from World Taekwondo Vice-President Maria Rosario Borello Castillo. 

 

Coy has travelled to Chuncheon for the World Taekwondo Junior Championships with his wife Wendy Chen de Coy and son Dany Coy Junior, who has previously been part of his country’s national Poomsae team and finished fifth in the individual competition at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima. He also has three daughters - Leidy Daniela, Hiromi and Ariadna - who practise Taekwondo.

 

Today, he was greeted by World Taekwondo President Chungwon Choue.

 

Coy launched the pioneering Girls of Tipulcan project in the remote village of Tipulcan back in 2014. Often travelling many miles on foot due to the lack of transport infrastructure, through his teaching Coy aimed to empower young girls and enable them to defend themselves from gender-based violence.

 

Training is designed to allow his students to continue wearing traditional hand-made costumes which are a local custom, and Girls of Tipulcan has empowered more than 60 young girls.

 

“The idea of the Tipulcan programme started because I found out about young kids and girls being violated, abused, sexually abused even by family members. I wanted to avoid that and teach young girls how to defend themselves and empower themselves,” he explained.

 

“Through Taekwondo, those young girls have empowered themselves to believe they can achieve more, to grow and to help their families through Taekwondo and sport.”

 

Many of Coy’s students have competed in national Poomsae and Kyorugi tournaments in Guatemala.

 

He explained how initially there were some reservations at a local level towards a male coach leading a project teaching young girls how to defend themselves, but he quickly gained positive feedback when they saw the results. 

 

“We have seen the impactful, meaningful changes in the society,” he said.

 

“It has now impacted the entire department and everyone is supporting me.”

 

Coy has planned a trip to the World Taekwondo Junior Championships since February of this year. Despite the considerable expense of travel from Guatemala, in doing so he fulfilled a dream he has had for more than 30 years to visit the birthplace of Taekwondo.

 

“The idea and opportunity started through Maria Rosario Borello Castillo, and thanks to Ms Borello Castillo, we got to meet with Dr Choue today. It was a dream come true for me and for the family to be here and take advantage of the opportunity of Maria and Dr Choue being here,” he said.

 

“We came to Seoul two days ago, and we are here until Monday 7^th. It is a dream come true for us to get to know the country and city where Taekwondo was born.”

 

After an exchange of gifts, President Choue commended Coy for and expressed his appreciation for his work on the Girls of Tipulcan project.

 

Coy’s project embodies the values of Taekwondo, underlines it impact in even the most remote parts of the world, and promises to change even more lives for the better in the years ahead.