Taekwondo green belt Kiara Hernandez competed in the International Martial Arts Festival from Thursday, Oct. 8, to Sunday, Oct. 11, at the ESPN Wide World of Sports. She took home three gold medals. Hernandez has also competed in Sarasota and Austin, Texas this year, earning five gold and two silver medals between the three events.
Looks like you’ve been doing pretty well in competitions this year. How are you feeling?
I guess things are going pretty good.
When did you start doing taekwondo?
A year ago.
What made you first want to start?
I’d been wanting to do martial arts for a while, and my dad found something on Yelp, I think. It had pretty good reviews, so we went. I originally tried out with my brother, but he got out of it.
What made you stay, even when your brother left?
I don’t know, it just felt pretty fun for me. I liked it a lot.
Where do you train?
It used to be known as World Champion Center, but now it’s Team K. It’s in Valrico, by Strawberry Crest.
Do you only train in taekwondo?
Just taekwondo. But I do know a bit of jiu-jitsu. Just a bit.
How many competitions have you entered?
Five or six.
How many people competed with you at ESPN?
About 100.
Were there a lot of people watching you in the audience?
I don’t pay attention to the audience.
What events did you win at ESPN?
Two forms, and breaking. The boards were not fun to break.
It wasn’t fun?
I like breaking, but it wasn’t fun. They didn’t get the right ones.
What’s your next big tournament?
I’m not sure yet.
Do you play any other sports?
I did two years of soccer, and baseball. I still play soccer occasionally, but just for fun.
Is there any sport you’ve always wanted to try, but haven’t gotten to yet?
I’m not sure.
How old are you?
I am 13.
Where do you go to school?
Mulrennan Middle.
What’s your favorite subject?
Science.
Who’s your favorite athlete?
Neymar.
You get to hang out with Neymar for a day. What would you want to do?
Play soccer.
Do you have any goals for yourself in taekwondo for the rest of the year?
I want to try to get to black belt. I have five or six more ranks to go.
Let’s say that you get $1 billion in the bank. What’s the first thing you do?
Maybe put it into savings. I’ve never thought about that.
What superpower would you like to have?
Flight. I would fly all over the world.
Let’s say you meet a young kid who’s just getting into taekwondo for the first time, and she asks you for advice on how to get good at it. What’s the first thing you’d tell her to do?
A lot of practice.
Of all the things you do in taekwondo, what’s your favorite?
Right now, it’s between breaking and sparring.
What do you like about them?
I get an adrenaline rush. And, in sparring, I like fighting.