2 Potential Women's Taekwondo Representatives for 2015 Pan Am Games

Three Canadian Women Embark on a Journey to Become Apart of the 2016 RIO Olympics .

TORONTO, Nov. 13, 2014 /CNW/ - The Taekwondo community is excited to announce their potential representatives for the upcoming 2015 Pan Am Games. Melissa Pagnotta, Ivett Gonda, and Evelyn Gonda will be competing every 6-8 weeks at various open international events, the Pan Am Championships, and the World Grand Prix Circuit in order to gain their worldwide rankings and be considered for participation within the event. These three women have ultimately contributed to Canada's Taekwondo community and many people are wishing them luck within the upcoming Pan Am Games and Olympic qualification process.

The three women; Melissa Pagnotta, Ivett Gonda, and Evelyn Gonda would make suitable candidates to represent Taekwondo for a variety of reasons. Both Melissa Pagnotta and Evelyn Gonda will have the opportunity to become selected to represent Canada within the Pan Am Championships if they are both ranked well within their weight division and successfully perform at multiple international open events. Ivett Gonda will be representing Hungary, and she has already qualified for the European games she will not compete in the Pan-Am games.  The three women will participate within the World Grand Prix Competition, Melissa and Evelyn will need to be placed within the top 32 contenders according to the world ranking system in order to be considered for the Pan Am Games.

These ladies are coached/trained by Master Shin Wook Lim and their mentor/advisor Master Tommy Chang- professional Taekwondo artists. Master Chang recently said; "We have the best female taekwondo fighters here in Toronto and I am very confident Melissa and Evelyn will once again obtain their gold medal at the 2015 Pan Am Games", when he was asked about the women and their upcoming potential participation. Master Lim said the following; "Setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding how you will go about achieving that goal and staying with that plan, however, this plan can only be achieved with the right support".

Melissa Pagnotta is a twenty six year old Taekwondo athlete that has been working towards her goal of becoming an Olympic athlete since childhood. She has qualified for the Senior Canadian National Team nine times, and has previously won the Pan Am Championships three times, and won gold in the Pan Am Games during 2011. Pagnotta is confident that she will be chosen to represent Canada next year and will become a top ranked athlete within her weight division. Pagnotta recently said; "Winning is not done alone, you win because of your supportive team. A group effort, there is no "I" in team".

Evelyn Gonda, began studying under Master Lim since she was eight years old and has since grown into a force to be reckoned with. She participated in the Junior and Senior Canadian Nationals Team eight times, and won first place in the 2014 Pan Am Games. She recently said;  "Making it up to the top isn't easy as I have been traveling back and forth from Vancouver to Toronto in order to get the training that I need. However, the consistent efforts have allowed me to compete against the world's best on the international circuit."

Ivett Gonda is a two time Olympian and eleven time Canadian National Taekwondo Champion. She is a highly specialized stunt actor who has experience using a variety of weapons, participating in various sports, and boasts great acting skills. She has participated in numerous Canada and US Open Games, World Grand Prix, and Pan Am Championships. Gonda is fluent in both English and Hungarian. She recently stated the following; "Our annual strategic planning has been successful, by having a great support team in place will definitely help me get to Rio 2016".

The Canadian Taekwondo community is confident  Melissa Pagnotta and Evelyn Gonda will be representing Canada at the 2015 Pan Am Games.

SOURCE: Ivett Gonda and Master Tommy Chang of HPAC Black Belt World Toronto

Louise Jackson - PR Manager, Email: [email protected], Phone: [phone]