Teenage Taekwon-Do prodigy Cody Milne puts his nationally-recognised success in the sport down to the family atmosphere it creates and the support of others.
The 17-year-old from Meeanee was named the 2020 International Taekwon-Do Foundation of New Zealand Senior Sportsperson of the Year this month at his black belt grading.
And not only did Milne pass that grading to become a first dan black belt, he was the only person at the event to receive a very rare pass with distinction, for scoring over 80 per cent.
His instructor at RTR Taekwon-Do Master Rocky Rounthwaite said Milne was only the third person he had seen pass with distinction in the past 10 years.
Milne said receiving the award just made him so happy.
Because the 2020 tournament calendar was so thrown by Covid-19, he was only able to compete in one event, and the Sportsperson of the Year award took 2019 into account as well.
Milne first took up the sport in February 2017.
"I wanted to get into kickboxing or boxing, something like that," he said.
Because his younger brother had just started in Taekwon-Do, Milne's mother said to Cody he should give it a go as well."
"From there I haven't looked back," he said of his quick rise in the sport.
Milne said it normally takes a beginner some four or five years to get to black belt level.
"It's kinda just within me to do it well."
His favourite part of the sport is the atmosphere around it:
"Having everyone there, always supporting you no matter what. If it's during Taekwon-Do or outside of it, everyone's always supporting you."
Milne said his favourite part of the sport is the supportive atmosphere it creates inside and outside Taekwon-Do. Photo / Warren Buckland
The Napier Boys' High School student is heading into Year 13 next year, after which he thinks he will move on to tertiary education.
"Probably around accounting or mathematics, I really love my numbers."
All 11 black belt applicants from RTR Taekwon-Do passed their gradings.
Aspects of the evaluation include self-defence, patterns, step-sparring, free sparring, power breaking, theory and a formal interview with the examiners.
