Sailor up for CISM Athlete of the Year Award
Able Seaman Yvette Yong is competing for the International Military Sports Council’s (CISM) Athlete of the Year Award and you can vote for her online until January 16, 2019.
The award is presented to an athlete to recognize the most significant sportive performance and the promotion of CISM values such as fair play, personal empathy and discipline.
AB Yong has been a rising star in the world of military sports and martial arts. She brought home the gold in the 2018 Pan American Taekwondo Championships where she represented the Canadian Armed Forces, and was ranked number one in the world in women’s fin weight category.
AB Yong epitomizes the meaning of “friendship through sport”. She personally hosts international Taekwondo fighters who visit Toronto for training camps or schooling in her home.
Image gallery
In 2018, AB Yong hosted two members of the Brazilian national team who came to Toronto to conduct taekwondo training with the Canadian CISM Team. One of these two Brazilian fighters, Valeria Rodrigues, was her opponent at the finals of the 24th CISM World Taekwondo Championship. When AB Yong defeated Valeria, her first action was to embrace Valeria and raise her arm to acknowledge her efforts before the Brazilian spectators.
In addition to her role as a military athlete, AB Yong also performs regular military duties such as Search and Rescue missions with the Royal Canadian Navy. AB Yong took advantage of these missions to also teach Taekwondo and general physical fitness to sailors on her ship.
When off duty, AB Yong trains and teaches women’s self-defence and physical fitness. AB Yvette Yong was also named the “Best Female Player” in the 2011 Military World Games for her competitive performance.
2018 Achievements:
- 2018 World Taekwondo Ranking #1
- 2018 Pan American Championships – Gold Medal
- 2018 Belgium Open – Gold Medal
- 2018 German Open – Gold Medal
- 2018 Pan American Open – Silver Medal
- 2018 WT President’s Cup – Silver Medal
- 2018 U.S. Open – Bronze Medal
Voting is open on the CISM website until January 16, 2019.
