ISLE PROFILE
Dad's words inspire tae kwon do quest

By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer

Stephanie Beckel's energy and intensity have led to tae kwon do victories in the Collegiate Team Trials and Senior Nationals this summer. Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

That's what her father, Ronald, had always told her.

And when he passed away four years ago, she never forgot that. His unwavering faith in her has pushed her to run faster, kick stronger, work harder.

Now the 19-year-old is considered one of Hawai'i's top contenders for the next Olympics in tae kwon do.

This summer Beckel won gold medals at the Collegiate Team Trials in Kansas City and the Senior Nationals in Detroit. In June she finished second in the featherweight division at the World University Taekwondo Championship in Berkeley, Calif., losing the gold by a decision to her Turkish opponent who had competed in the 2000 Olympics.

"I felt I could've done better," Beckel said. "But when I found out she was an Olympian, I felt a little better."

Beckel will compete for a spot on the U.S. national team — and a chance to represent the U.S. at the 2004 Summer Games — in August.

Her father wouldn't have been surprised.

"I would always tell people how proud he was of me," said Beckel, an honors student at the University of Hawai'i. "He believed I could do anything."

Ronald Beckel died after suffering an aneurysm. It was sudden, startling, and the loss still affects the family, Stephanie said. Two years after his death they moved from Kane'ohe to Portland to be closer to other family members.

But Beckel chose to come back to Hawai'i for college, mostly to continue training at the Bob Smith Taekwondo Center in Kane'ohe, where she has trained for about 10 years.

"I knew this would be something my dad would've wanted me to do," she said quietly.

Beckel, who is 5 feet 6 and 127 pounds, threw herself into training, working out nearly every day, pushing herself to improve in strength, conditioning and mental toughness.

"She has an unquenchable desire to train," said Smith. "She's pretty fanatic about it."

Intense workout pays off

Beckel's workout schedule borderlines manic: She runs two hours in the morning and practices tae kwon do for four hours in the afternoon every day except Sunday, when she goes to church. During the school year, she starts her day at 6 a.m., fitting her rigorous workout into an already busy academic schedule.

"There are guys on the U.S. National Team who said they've never seen anyone train so hard," Smith said with a laugh.

All that training has made Beckel an Olympic candidate. A very good one, Smith added.

"She really stands out," he said. "There are a couple elite-level champions (at the studio), but she is, by far, the most intense. I never had a student who, after a two-hour beating, would run sprints on her own."

That intensity and focus are critical in tae kwon do, a full-contact Korean martial art that combines kicking and handwork. Introduced as an Olympic sport in 2000, tae kwon do bouts last a continuous three minutes; points are earned when competitors hit their opponents hard enough for body displacement. And this year, in an attempt to make the sport more exciting, head kicks are worth two points.

Meaning, being physically strong helps.

And Beckel is that.

"She's as strong as most medium- to large-sized men," Smith said. "She dominates."

Keeps it in the ring

At the world championships last month, Beckel overpowered her second opponent, 7-0.

"She was so strong the Korean national player actually just quit," Smith said. "She destroys them, beats 'em down, every time."

Beckel can't explain what motivates her to train so hard, but her competitive fire is obvious in the ring.

Outside, though, is another story. You'd never guess by her warm smile and playful sincerity she would be such a fierce competitor.

"I call her the psycho bunny," Smith said, laughing. "She looks like a pet rabbit."

Taekwondo has given Beckel a way to express herself without having to say anything.

"I see myself doing this for years, till forever, till I'm a grandma," she said.

But for now, her focus is on the Olympics. And considering how her determination has gotten her this far, that goal may not be that lofty.

"I want it," she said confidently. "And I work hard. So we'll see."