Park life Trio of Winnipeg siblings sets sights on Olympics By: Mike Sawatzky Posted: 7:00 PM CDT Monday, May. 1, 2023

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Winnipeg’s Park siblings — Skylar, Tae-Ku and Braven — are hoping to become the first family trio to represent Canada at the Summer Olympics.

On Monday, the Parks — all members of the senior national taekwondo team — inched closer to that goal when they were named to the national team that will compete at the Pan Am Games in Santiago, Chile, Oct. 20-Nov. 5.

It is believed the Parks would be the first set of three sibling athletes to wear Canadian colours at the Pan Am Games in the same sport. And they’re not just going to soak up the experience.

Canadian coach Jae Park, who also happens to be their father, expects his offspring to make a strong challenge for the podium in Santiago.

“We don’t go into competitions to lose,” said Jae Park on Monday afternoon. “At the end of the day… all three of them have definitely the potential to get to the podium. And for me, I have no problems saying it. When we go to the Olympics, we’re going there to win. When we go to the Pan Am Games, we’re going to win. If we’re not going to win, then what’s the point of competing?”

Thus far, 23-year-old Skylar is the most accomplished and seasoned competitor in the family.

In 2019, she earned a silver medal at the Pan Am Games in Lima and was ranked No. 3 in the world in the women’s 57-kilogram division heading into the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics.

However, she was eliminated in the quarter-finals at her first Olympics and the experience has impacted her preparations.

In 2022, Tae-Ku and Braven made a statement by winning bronze in their respective divisions while Skylar struck gold at the 2022 Pan Am Championships in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

“In Tokyo, physically I was ready and it was the mental game and mentally being prepared for that pressure and all the emotions that come with it (was the issue),” said Skylar, the eldest of the Park children. “It’s something that I’ve been working on really hard with my dad, with our team and with my sports psychologists and so many other people around me.

“I’m feeling good and feeling in a good place. Things are starting to come together nicely at a good time.”

“I’m feeling good and feeling in a good place. Things are starting to come together nicely at a good time.”–Skylar Park

Tae-Ku, a 22-year-old who competes in the men’s 68-kilogram division, soaked up the Olympic experience while serving as his sister’s sparring partner.

“I think experiencing that kind of environment in Tokyo with Skylar and seeing how that pressure and emotions can really affect your performance has taught me a lot,” said Tae-Ku, who will be attending his first multi-sport games.

“Going into these Games, I’m kinda figuring out how to handle those kinds of emotions and pressures and learning from competing at the world championships last year to the ones coming up next month in Baku (Azerbaijan), (I hope) to just continuing to grow… and not always just focus on the physical side of things.”

Braven, the 20-year-old youngster of the group, competes in the men’s 58-kilogram division. He’s enjoying the benefits of watching his brother and sister travel the path he’s following.

“As much as I get advice from them I don’t necessarily always listen to it, just because I’m the younger brother, but I try and take what they say and I try and use it to help me grow, especially with them having more experience and more knowledge than me,” said Braven.

After Toyko, Skylar has sensed a different vibe in training sessions with her brothers.

“Going to Tokyo they were training with me and they were doing all the same things with me and it was nice and I’m so grateful for the support. But this time having them chasing this goal as well, as strongly as I am, I think it creates a different environment in training and it allows us to push each other even harder…,” said Skylar. “There’s just a different energy now.”

The Games in Chile will have extra meaning for the entire family. Their mom, Andrea, was born in Chile and her children have never visited her homeland, much less competed there.

Jae Park takes great pride in representing his country but he also recognizes the challenges.

“There’s pluses and minuses to being Canadians,” said Jae Park. “The reason I say that is because we live a very good life. We are very blessed to be in Canada and so sometimes we don’t face adversity in our day-to-day life, or maybe not at all. I mean, when we talk to some athletes, our friends from from Brazil… some of the stories that they tell — how can you not be mentally and emotionally tough?”

The Park siblings, Jae said, have to get their drive to succeed from a different place.

“It’s their own personal dream that they’re chasing, and for me I believe that is more powerful, if they can tap into it, than any other motivation in terms of fear or maybe the millions of dollars that you might make as a (professional) basketball player,” he said.

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca