Olympic taekwondo athlete Stacey Hymer visited regional schools across Victoria to introduce students to the art of taekwondo, share insights from her elite sporting journey, and inspire young people to stay active and chase their dreams. For Stacey, the students’ pure smiles were the greatest reward, a reminder of the profound impact of inspiring Victorians.
By VIS taekwondo athlete, Stacey Hymer OLY
Discovering taekwondo for the first time can be a little confronting. Striking people to score three points and a spin-kick for five points is not your typical mainstream Australian sport, especially growing up in regional Victoria.
Through the Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS) community program, Be Fit. Be Well, in partnership with Schools Sports Victoria, I visited 10 schools in regional Victoria across Kerang, Pyramid Hill, Cohuna and Bendigo spread across three days in late December 2025. The goal was to connect with as many regional students as possible and give them the chance to meet an Olympian, I know from firsthand experience that it’s an opportunity they don’t often get.
Some of the highlights included visiting Murrabit Group School, a school with just two classrooms of students and a herd of cows wandering through the playground. It was a reminder of the charm of true country life. Koondrook Primary School set along the Murray River, had beautiful greenery and lush gardens. I loved the drive there, winding through the countryside, and I often had to stop to take some photos!
While heading through town to arrive at Pyramid Hill College, I made the essential stop at the local bakery to enjoy the freshly made pie, as you do. In my travels, I also met a local Greek lady in Kerang serving souvlaki, which instantly made me feel at home, bringing back memories of my Greek family cooking. It was nice to visit the shops and embrace the country lifestyle, trying the local foods to fuel me for the long days of presenting.
The trip finished in Bendigo, where students could hardly believe an Olympic fighter had walked into their school. The diversity of students in the larger schools was inspiring, and it was incredible to engage with them and fill the rooms with powerful kihap shouts, the Korean term in taekwondo for releasing energy.
I shared my knowledge and taught students the taekwondo rules, showing them sparring videos, highlights from the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games, as well as getting them up in action to practice a few basic skills. The students were bursting with excitement and jaws dropped, with some students not believing the rigours of competition and training I go through as a professional athlete. I assured the students that through our training and support given by the VIS and Combat Aus, we (athletes) do this for the enjoyment of the sport and the beauty of martial arts.
Presenting the insights into high performance sport and the steps each student could take to reach their highest sporting goals, along with the importance of an active and healthy lifestyle, was my focus.
Sharing what it takes to become an Olympic taekwondo athlete in Australia, and giving students the opportunity to learn or even discover a new sport, is the most meaningful part of telling my story.
Many Australians have never heard of or seen taekwondo before, so you can only imagine the looks on the students’ faces when they put on the training sparring chest guard and helmet for the first time. Giving the equipment a test run, students learnt how to move their body in ways they previously have only seen in movies like The Karate Kid.
They felt empowered, strong, focused and eager to learn more.
“For me, the regional tour was a success, I left each school feeling an energetic atmosphere and seeing the students’ pure smiles was the greatest reward and a powerful reminder of why inspiring young Victorians is so important to me.”
I feel fortunate to visit schools across regional Victoria and share all things taekwondo with the next generation. I am looking forward to many more visits and smiles to come with the Be Fit. Be Well program, kihap!
