My Wyndham: At the age of 14, Cameron Moyes is already a taekwondo champion. He competes at a club, state and international level, and won a gold medal at the New Zealand Open last year. This week, he is heading to Canberra for the national team selections ahead of the Oceania Championships in Tahiti. Cameron, who is in year 9 at Westbourne Grammar School, chats with Alesha Capone.
How did you get started in taekwondo?
I was aged four, I asked my parents if I could take it up.
What do you enjoy most about the sport?
I like the competitiveness, there are lots of competitions, and the flexibility of it. This year, I travelled to Belgium and Holland for competitions. I did another one, the New Zealand Open, last year. It was exciting, I’d never been to compete outside of Australia, it was a different level really. I’m hoping to go to the World Championships in Taipei in November. There will be a qualifying event held in Bendigo, the Australian National Championships.
How often do you train?
I pretty much train every day, at Hall’s Taekwondo and at home. The biggest challenge is that you have to keep training through the year, or else you fall behind and have to work twice as hard to catch up. I’m unusual in that I do both taekwondo disciplines of sparring and poomsae. Sparring is fighting and poomsae is more of a pre-set routine, most people do one or the other.
What’s your ultimate ambition?
I’d probably, when I’m older and if I could, like to go to the Olympics. I’d love to possibly place at the worlds, that would be a dream come true.
You’re also a taekwondo instructor?
I’ve just finished my instructor’s course and I hope to get a job this year. I did some volunteer instructing in my first club and I do a fair bit at Hall’s. I do a few development classes with younger children. I love teaching in general, passing on what I’ve learned and seeing the smiles on the little kid’s faces when they do something right or I tell them ‘good job’.
What do you like most about living in Hoppers Crossing?
There are a lot of things I enjoy, the shopping centres, I’ve got a lot of friends around here, AquaPulse. Hoppers Crossing is quite busy compared to other areas, but I like it a lot.
