Taylor Reed, a 19-year-old Kalispell resident and national champion in taekwondo, recently earned a bronze medal at the Pan American World Taekwondo President’s Cup in Portland, Oregon.
Reed took bronze in the sport side of the men’s division. The top-three place marked a significant achievement for the local athlete, who has his sights set on competing at the Olympic Trials in two years.
Reed won his second national championship in July, this time in the men’s division against adults. He previously won a national title in the junior division.
Reed said his goal is to continue to compete at elite events to gain points that will help his standing in the future organization of the U.S. Olympic team. His next competition is in Reno in February.
“It’s huge to be able to get to these events and compete at the international level,” he said. “It’s pretty exciting to see the hard work pay off.”