Filipino American William Cunningham in USA’s Junior Taekwondo National Team
In 2022, Filam William Cunningham and Korea, Nigeria, and Kazakhstan won the -55KG “Taekwondo Stage for Tomorrow’s Star” at the Sofia 2022 World Taekwondo Junior Championship.
Born in 2005 in Flushing, New York, Filipino blood runs in his veins. He began to learn Taekwondo when he was five years old.
William is critical of his attitude in dealing with challenges. He dared participate in three National Level Competition where his training and discipline came to fruition in 2016.
Since then, William has won a string of Gold, Silver, and Bronze from -40 until he reached -51kg and won gold in the 2020 New York State Championship and Silver in the US Open Taekwondo Championship JR Sparring.
In 2019, Cunningham became a Cadet National Team member and participated in the Cadet World Championship in Uzbekistan.
Earlier in 2018, William won Bronze in the World Taekwondo President’s Cup Pan America -49 Cadet Division out of 30 count Athletes, held in Las Vegas.
His enthusiasm is palpable, and it’s clear that he’s ready to tear it up on the world stage.
Back-to-back testament
Wearing the USA colors on a national team spot holds special significance for athletes like Cunningham. He expressed, “It feels great representing the USA and getting called for them.”
The dual opportunity to compete in two prestigious tournaments back-to-back is a testament to his dedication and skill.
In 2023, William competed against Higashijima Seiya (Japan) and Samirkhon Ababakirov (Kazakhastan) in round 63 and 32 during the men’s 58kg round of 64 match at the World Taekwondo Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan.
