Young Greek Australian athletes Nicole Striglogiannis and Lucas Mamonitis have secured gold medals at the Cadet World Championship Selection Event in Canberra, earning them the opportunity to represent Australia at the 2025 World Taekwondo Cadet Championships in Fujairah, UAE.
Nicole, a 12-year-old black belt, has been training six days a week for five years and has already claimed two national championships in Perth and Brisbane.
Lucas, a 3rd Dan Black Belt, has won multiple state and national titles and recently finished second in Malaysia, competing against athletes from 18 countries. His ultimate goal is to represent Australia at the 2032 Olympics.
Their coach, Elias of Royal Empire Martial Arts, expressed his pride in their recent achievements at the selection event, stating that their hard work has paid off.
Nicole’s parents, Bill and Catherine, also shared their pride with The Greek Herald, noting that her younger brothers look up to her as a role model.
Nicole herself said, “I trained hard and worked hard. I’m so happy to have this opportunity to represent Australia in Dubai. I’m nervous but excited at the same time. Looking forward to travelling overseas as this will be my first time out of Australia.”
Both athletes are now preparing for the World Championships, where they will compete against the best in their age group on the international stage.
