FORT MEADE, Md. - A trip to the Republic of Korea for the World Tae Kwon Do Culture Expo made for a memorable summer experience for one civil affairs Soldier and his 10-year-old daughter. After being sponsored by her instructor at the H.K. Lee Academy of Tae Kwon Do in Herndon, Va., Ashley Handy made her parents proud and distinguished herself with a bronze medal in her division at the international event.

Col. Quincy Handy, deputy commander of the 352nd Civil Affairs Command, said he was very impressed with his daughter’s achievement. Both the Handys competed in the event, which was held in South Korea’s North Jeolla province in July.

“She was selected because she really embraces tae kwon do,” her father said.

Handy, who also practices tae kwon do and is a third-degree black belt, started training for the expo when he found out his daughter was selected; this allowed Handy to escort his daughter to the competition as a competitor in his own right.

“Being able to compete at this level of competition gave me a deep understanding of where you can go at that level of training,” Handy said.

Meeting international competitors, competing with friends, and developing friendships were just some of the things that made the trip memorable for Handy and his daughter.

“I got a better understanding of the spirit of tae kwon do while embracing the culture,” Handy said.

While both father and daughter competed, the two experienced just as much outside the competition. With the Summer Olympics approaching, the two had a chance to see South Korea’s tae kwon do team practice. They also visited a traditional folk village in addition to other sites during their visit.

For Ashley to travel overseas and compete in an international competition for the first time, she handled it well, Handy said.

“Not everyone who competed was able to walk away with a medal,” said Col. Handy, who earned a silver medal at the competition.

The Handys learned about Ashley’s selection a month before the competition.

“When the school called, my dad called me downstairs. I was not sure what was going on, and then my dad explained why the school called and asked if I wanted to go to Korea,” Ashley said.
“I said yes,” Ashley said with a smile. “Of course I wanted to go.”

Ashley stayed with a South Korean family whose daughter also practices tae kwon do. One of the things Ashley said she learned while staying with her host was that their style of training in tae kwon do is very different than what she is used to.

“I learned that they practice every single day for 10 hours, and I only practice one hour,” Ashley said.

This experience “made me want to work harder and made me want to do my best,” she said.

Ashley said she knows that this was a one-time opportunity for her to compete, and that she realizes even though she had a chance to learn about and experience a different culture, she still has to work hard at her own school to prove she earned that chance.

Ashley’s mother, Georgina Handy, said her potential to progress must be demonstrated and her obedience to the training had to be shown to get this chance.

Georgina said Kathy Lee, an African-American instructor at the academy, usually selects one African-American girl in the academy every year to help keep their interest up. She normally selects a student who demonstrates the necessary traits in learning this skill, Georgina said.

“Going to the Republic of Korea for the World Tae Kwon Do Culture Expo made Ashley want to become a higher black belt than me,” Col. Handy said.

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