Young talent Lucas Mamonitis has made a name for himself as a taekwondo whiz, winning multiple state and national titles, and he is now preparing for the next major step: representing Australia.
The 13-year-old has been practicing taekwondo essentially since birth and has achieved immense successes, including winning gold medals in three separate competitions in just the last two months.
These include winning gold medals at the Gold Coast Open, the KPNP South Australian Taekwondo Open Series and the Caboolture Open in Brisbane.
One of his dream goals he has been eagerly anticipating has now come to fruition, that being Lucas’ selection to represent Australia in Malaysia for the KPNP Malaysian Open Series later this year from 2-5 August.
“I am very proud in how far I have come in taekwondo,” Lucas told Neos Kosmos.
The young athlete has won two national titles and around 12 state titles, though he admitted that it “feels great” to achieve his ambition of representing Australia.
“I feel good knowing that all my hard work is paying off,” he said.
The young talent expressed appreciation for the many people who hope him improve his skills.,
“I have to thank my older brother Evan for coaching me and guiding me. I also want to thank my club coaches, Elias, Jason, Sam, Claude and Jasmine for always pushing me to my limits and getting the most out of me,” Lucas said.
Lucas’ father Phillip remarked on his immense pride in both his son’s accomplishments and his dedication, training a minimum of 4-5 days a week at Royal Empire Martial Arts.
“The thing that has impressed me the most is that Lucas is very humble when he wins and never thinks he is better than anyone,” Phillip told Neos Kosmos.
“I feel very proud that Lucas is doing what he loves and always puts in 100%. It is not a matter of winning all the time but as long as he keeps improving and learning.”
Phillip stressed that his son has now made a name for himself across the country, a remarkable feat for someone so young, and argued that there are bigger things to come in his future.
Indeed, Lucas has other big targets that he is working towards.
“My goals are to achieve more national titles and represent my country in more international competitions,” he said.
“My ultimate dream is to represent my country at the Olympics and become a world champion.”
