A Newfoundlander who proudly calls himself half-Egyptian and half-salt beef is hoping his recent championship victory at the World Association of Kickboxing Organization’s (WAKO) Nationals will help elevate the sport in this province.
Hady Tarek with Rock Athletics in St. John’s won the middleweight championship belt at the 2024 WAKO Nationals in Niagara Falls. The first thing Tarek did when he got back was book a flight to Egypt to show the belt off to his mom and grandmother.
He wanted to give his national title and Best Athlete of the Tournament Award to his mother and grandmother. He was met by a huge reception of family who cheered when he held the belt aloft.
The 28-year-old came to Newfoundland in 2017 to go to school and liked it so much, he decided to stay. He says the local kickboxing community has been incredibly supportive of his development and he hopes the sport will continue to grow locally. He’s now fundraising to attend the Team Canada qualifiers with a goal to compete in the Pan Am Games and the world championships.
Front (left to right):Caden Stock, Amanda Roberts, Anna Snow, Annabelle King, Isabelle Quinton. Back (left to right): Braden Evans, Daniel Seymour, Fred Holloway, Leah Quinton, Karla Peters
Meanwhile, five members of the Warrior Elite Kickboxing Club in Paradise qualified for the 2024 WAKO World Junior Championships after competing at the National Championship this past weekend.
Anna Snow, Braden Evans, Leah Quinton, Isabelle Quinton, and Caden Stock will represent Canada this summer in Budapest, Hungary.
