Skylar Park

Skylar Park

Taekwondo — Targeting Paris 2024

2023 Pan American Games – Gold Medalist
2023 China Grand Prix – Gold Medalist
2021 Olympian, Team Canada
2019 World Taekwondo Championships – Bronze Medalist
2019 Pan American Games – Silver Medalist
2019, 2018 Roma Grand Prix – Bronze Medalist 
2018 Pan American Championships – Gold Medalist
2018 Manchester Grand Prix – Bronze Medalist
2016 World Taekwondo Junior Championships – Gold Medalist
2016 Pan American Championships – Bronze Medalist
Social Followers: Instagram, 56,400
Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba

“I kick my brothers in the face.”

In most families, this would be cause for parental intervention.

For Skylar Park, it comes with her father and coach Jae’s permission…and her brothers' blessing.

“I was born into a family of 16 black belts. My grandfather is a grandmaster, my father and mother are masters and my coaches, both my brothers and all 10 cousins are black belts, and yes, my aunts and uncles are also black belts,” said Skylar.

Over the past 17 years, Skylar’s family has created a disciplined and close-knit community that’s made her one of the most promising Olympic hopefuls leading into Tokyo 2021.

“Taekwondo was just what we did on a daily basis, where achieving your black belt was not a lofty goal, but something you were expected to accomplish as a life skill,” said Skylar.

“This was our normal.”

Skylar is also the product of a generational immigration story that reflects the fabric of our nation’s strength and the growing diversity of Team Canada.

In 1977, with hope for a better future, Skylar’s grandparents and four children packed up their lives in Daegu, South Korea and immigrated to Winnipeg, Manitoba.

And in 1993, her dad and grandpa opened the doors to the Tae Ryong Park Academy, which is where Jae met his partner in life, Andrea Zanetel, who added her Chilean and Italian heritage to their growing Canadian family. 

Since then, the do jang has become the training centre for their three children – Skylar, Tae-Ku and Braven – from the time they could walk.

So for Skylar, it’s always been family first.

In her Olympic debut in Tokyo 2021, generations of the Park Family were represented in every moment she spent on the mat that brought her closer to her goal of winning Olympic gold for Canada.

Now with an Olympics already under her blackbelt, she's hoping to make some history alongside her brothers as the first three siblings to compete in the Summer Games for Team Canada with the knowledge that a family that kicks together, sticks together.

With recent wins at the 2023 Pan Am Games and the 2023 Grand Prix in China, she's ready for her Olympic breakthrough.

Bring on Paris 2024.

Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser

VLADIMIR GUERRERO JR.

Mark Messier

Mark McMorris

Nazem Kadri

Mitch Marner

John Herdman

Brad Gushue

Toby Fournier

Carey Price

ERIN Brooks

Natalie Spooner

RYAN REAVES

Skylar Park

Aaron Brown

Meaghan Mikkelson

Charles Hamelin

Brendan Gallagher

Alannah Yip

STEVEN DUBOIS

Noah Bowman

Natalie Wilkie

Jade Iginla

Marielle Thompson

Matt Berger

Juraj Slafkovsky

Reece Howden

Craig McMorris

Gilmore Junio

Rosie MacLennan

Melissa Bishop

Erica Wiebe

Spencer O'Brien

Erik Guay

Josh Dueck

NICK KYPREOS

Patrick Anderson

Georges "The Rock" Laraque