When Juliana Candelaria stepped onto the mat at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, her campaign was fueled by years of hardwork since she started competing at an early childhood.
The 18-year-old taekwondo sensation is the latest toast of the country where she captured a silver medal in the women’s individual poomsae event in Toyohashi, Japan.
For Candelaria, the podium finish represented the fulfillment of a long-held dream to represent her father’s homeland on the international stage.
Born in Chicago, Candelaria grew up in the United States, where she rapidly built an impressive record of domestic and international titles.
Competing across both sparring and forms, her early accolades included gold medal victories in cadet individual and team poomsae at the 2020 U.S. Open, double gold in individual poomsae and sparring at the 2020 AAU Illinois State Championship, and youth titles at the U.S. National Championships and President’s Cup.
Her success earned her dual spots on the U.S. National Team for both kyorugi and poomsae.
Despite her success in American, Candelaria chose to transition to the Philippine sports program to honor her heritage.
Her father, who hails from Baguio City, Candelaria committed to bringing glory to the Philippines and her Igorota roots.
“I wanted to represent my Filipino blood. It was a big dream of mine to compete in the Asian Games and play for the Philippines,” Candelaria said.
Prior to the Asian Games in Japan, Candelaria tested her skills across Asia, placing in the top eight at the World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships in South Korea.
She followed that performance with a two-medal haul at an international tournament in Indonesia, capturing a bronze medal in recognized poomsae and a gold medal in freestyle poomsae.
At the Asian Games, Candelaria advanced through the semifinals with strong performances in the Pyongwon form and freestyle routines before securing silver in the final round with her Ji-tae and freestyle displays.
Now a first-year Sports Management student at the University of Santo Tomas, Candelaria balances world-class athletic training with her collegiate studies where she is set to make her UAAP debut for the UST Growling Tigers this season.
As she prepares to make her mark in collegiate athletics, Candelaria offers steady advice to young competitors: take everything one step at a time, one day at a time.
Candelaria also advised fellow and upcoming athletes and emphasized recovery, proper rest, and muscle care to prevent injuries and maintain peak condition. Roderick Osis
