A Lebanon County athlete is taking the martial arts world by storm. He's not even in his teens yet, he's already won dozens of awards and holds several national titles in taekwondo. Joshua Aguirre has been training at Family Karate in Lebanon since he was 4 years old. At 6, he was the youngest black belt at the studio and was already garnering attention. Now, at 12 years old, he continues to take his game to the next level. “Just recently, he competed in Cartagena, where he won four gold medals and a championship in the traditional format,” he said. “He seems to really give it his all when the pressure is on, so it seems like his skills really improve when he competes,” says master instructor David Gladwell. Aguirre has won numerous trophies and titles, but there's one medal he's been dreaming of since he started training: a gold medal. He wants to bring home a gold medal at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. “I've got a long way to go, but I'm really working hard to prepare for that,” he said. Aguirre, mature beyond his years, is also committed to giving back to society. He founded the Joshua Aguirre Foundation to provide young athletes with the necessary resources so they can participate in any type of sport. “I saw kids practicing on the field with pillows, without the proper equipment, so one day I thought, 'Hey, I've got to change that,'” he said. He practices the same advice he gives to others: “Never give up. Follow your dreams. Follow your passion. Don't let anything stop you from doing what you love,” he said.
A Lebanon County athlete is taking the martial arts world by storm.
Though he's not yet in his teens, he has already won dozens of awards in taekwondo and holds several national titles.
Joshua Aguirre has been training at Family Karate in Lebanon since he was four years old.
By the time he was six years old, he was the youngest black belt at the studio and was already making waves.
Now, at 12 years old, he continues to improve.
“I just recently competed in Cartagena, where I won four gold medals and a first place in the traditional format,” he said.
“He really seems to give it his all when the pressure is on, so the competitors really seem to surpass his skills,” master instructor David Gladwell said.
Aguirre has won many trophies and titles, but there's one medal he's dreamed of ever since he started training: bringing home a gold medal at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
“There's still a long way to go, but I'm focused and preparing, taking it one step at a time,” he said.
Aguirre, who is more mature than his years suggest, is also committed to giving back to society.
He founded the Joshua Aguirre Foundation to provide young athletes with the resources they need to participate in all types of sports.
“I saw kids practicing on the field with pillows, without the right equipment, so one day I thought, 'Hey, I've got to change this,'” he said.
He lives by the same advice he gives to others.
“Never give up. Follow your dreams, follow your passion. Don't let anything stop you from doing what you love,” he said.
