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Skenandore and Tae Kwan Do are a match

Harlow Skenandore was like many kids, a shy child that didn’t like being away from her mother Alex Powless and father Clyde Skenandore.

“When she started 4K she would cry every time we would drop her off at school,” said Powless. “She was so shy and quite.”

Alex and Clyde knew they needed to do something to crack Harlow of her parental attachment. That’s when Harlow was introduced to Tae Kwon Do.

“When she started she was so quiet, we wanted her to get out of her shell,” said Powless. “I’m glad she did it, we wonder if she still would be this shy, fragile girl.”

Harlow transformed into the girl sitting in the back of practice not wanting to participate to blue belt who now cries when practices are missed.

Halrow is a national champion for sparring. She wears shin and arm guards, a chest protector, helmet, and mouth guard for an intense three round contest.

“It’s crazy to see her all geared up and then she goes at it. When she first started she would let them kick her. We would tell her to do something back,” said Powless,

Harlow may seem all business as she attacks her opponents but she does have a soft spot.

“She has a big heart, so sometimes she takes it easy on her opponents,” Powless said.

Her quick rise through Tae Kwon Do’s belt progression can be attributed to her character.

“In practice she really works her butt off. She is always wringing wet with sweat. She really is determined,” said Powless.

Along with practice three nights a week Harlow is putting in 1,000 kicks on her sand bag in the basement of her home. Though she is small now her goals are big.

Harlow currently is a blue belt and wants to be a black belt by the time she is 10 years old. Her parents and coaches have different ideas.

“We want to slow her down, if she did that she would have to compete against older and bigger kids,” Powless said.

After obtaining her black belt Harlow plans on even bigger things.

“Her ultimate goal is to go to the Olympics. We were outside her teachers room waiting for parent teacher conferences and they had work hanging in the hall. It said her goal was to go to the Olympics,” said Powless.