Cecilia Lee: Tec student and athlete seeking to excel in taekwondo

When her father, a former South Korean national taekwondo champion, led her to believe as a child that the sport was actually ballet, Mexican Seo Hyun Cecilia Lee Kim did not know that it would lead to her finding her true passion.

“I wanted to do what my friends did in preschool: ballet. My dad bought me the whole set. He made me do taekwondo to music. At a talent show, I finally realized because they were dancing, and I screamed. How embarrassing! That’s when I discovered that I liked the sport,” she said.

More than 15 years after this event, the daughter of Korean parents has forged a career marked by becoming a two-time world taekwondo champion and by being a national and international multi-medalist.

In addition to continuing to achieve her goals, the Clinical and Health Psychology student at the Tec Monterrey campus also wants to leave a social legacy, using sport as a means to support children’s holistic development.

During the pandemic, I realized the importance of mental health. I’m a coach for 14 children and it is very nice because you learn a lot. I really enjoy teaching.”

“I chose this degree because later I want to do a master’s degree in children’s sports, and I want to combine it with taekwondo. I feel that I will be able to help a lot of people,” said the athlete from Borregos Monterrey.

Thus far in 2024, the 3rd semester student has won a gold medal at the National University Games and 2 bronze medals at the 2024 World University Festival in South Korea.

“The Tec supports athletes a lot.”

Taekwondo as tradition and heritage

Throughout her sporting career, Cecilia Lee has received training from her father Kang Young Lee. She said that, as a child, it was not easy for her at first.

“It’s difficult for a girl to explain that at home he’s your father and outside he’s your coach. Many people think it’s like ‘she wins because she’s his daughter,’ but I have to meet all the requirements,” she said.

Over the years, Kang Young Lee’s father/coach duality developed discipline and commitment to taekwondo in his daughter.

The Monterrey native has shared various achievements with him, including the world championships in Taipei in 2018 and in Goyang, Korea, in 2022.

Along with her father, Cecilia also enjoys participating in taekwondo with her mother and her two sisters Sofia and Yenni Lee.

“In Korea, where my parents are from, men do taekwondo because having a black belt is a requirement for military service. My mom also has a black belt, but that was a middle school requirement.

“My dad always wanted to instill Korean culture in us. “My sisters and I have healthy competitions to motivate ourselves,” she said.

Finding a balance between studies and sport

Since she began her studies at PrepaTec Valle Alto, Seo Hyun Cecilia Lee Kim has been an athlete and student at Tecnológico de Monterrey.

Cecilia shared that, as part of her daily routine, she attends classes in the morning, teaches taekwondo to children in the afternoon, trains at night, and does homework after midnight.

“I have always told my students that the Tec supports athletes a lot because it allows you to lead a balanced life and means that you don’t put any part of you aside.

“Tec has allowed me to fulfill both roles. When I go to a competition, I take a break from school and when I come back, I go back to studying,” she shared.

The Monterrey native and Monterrey Campus student has a sports scholarship from Borregos Monterrey.

Seo Hyun Cecilia Lee Kim is training to participate in the 2028 Olympic Games, which will be held in Los Angeles, USA.

ALSO READ: