Truly a champion

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Courtesy photos Taekwondo state champion Caio Cassarino of Lyndeborough with his awards.

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LYNDEBOROUGH – Hard work and discipline were traits that Caio Cassarino used to become State Taekwondo Champion.

A slight boy at only 4-feet, 7-inches tall and 77 pounds, the 12-year-old Lyndeborough native had to face some rather large opponents, some as old as 14 and tall, but his confidence and determination helped him emerge from the ring state champion. What makes it even more impressive is his ability to also overcome a physical handicap to excel.

Cassarino was named state champ by points accumulated over the course of the year at competitions in the 12- 14-year-old Division and was champ in all three areas he competed in: forms, weapons and sparring. He was really happy to earn the sparring title which eluded him in his previous championship titles in the 9- 11-year-old divisions, where he was champion in weapons and forms the past two seasons. He is also a second degree black belt.

Cassarino was born with his right arm and hand smaller than the other and has had multiple surgeries on his arm and other health issues, but that does not stop this determined boy, who has achieved many successes so far in his young life. He is artistic, plays the guitar, takes voice lessons, enjoys horseback riding, skiing, fishing and has taken karate since age 5, and then moved to taekwondo, where he is currently training to be an instructor.

“It is really fun and something I can do rest of my life,” Cassarino said. “It has helped me have self-defense in case I get bullied I know what to do and I can help others by learning self-defense because I have more confidence in myself.”

His success came with the commitment of training at least four days a week at an ATA Martial Arts in Amherst the past four years, as well as taking an instructors class, extreme martial arts (XMA) and an occasional private lesson on Saturdays.

“Once I’m 13, I can test for my red collar for certified instructor,” said Cassarino. On Fridays, he helps the Tiny Tigers program as an instructor or an assistant which is a role model for the younger kids.

“Sometimes I get two or three kids to instruct and I watch their forms and help them. Master Roy knows that I know my forms up to black belt which I need to know,” he added. “Sometimes I feel disadvantage because of my height but I’m confident. You have to have better technique if you are shorter.

“I went up against a friend who was very tall and we had a really good sparring. I stayed in, counter-acted more and did more jump kicks. Taekwondo is more about kicks and if they are taller they can keep you away by just keeping their leg out so I have to have more technique.”

Weapons is more challenging to Cassarino due to his disability.

“It was hard but then I got a really good score in weapons and half the forms were with my right hand,” he said. “I can do the single nunchuck but I can’t do the double because my arm burns because of so much movement. Fortunately, tournaments give an option to compete in single or double weapons.”

His parents enrolled him at Karate for Kids in Amherst when he was 5 because they felt he would benefit from it the way his dad did when he took karate.

“We wanted him to have some discipline and it was a really good outlet for him and at that time we were trying to build confidence and stuff and he just grabbed hold of it,” said his father, Craig Cassarino.

Caio’s parents are very supportive of him and proud of their only child.

“If they have a love for it and a passion they do well,” Craig Cassarino said. “This is Caio’s sport and he found something he loves to do. He has to overcome the challenges of his hand, with weapons for example. With his right hand it has been very difficult because of his gripping and he has overcome all those challenges so this has been great for him. I tell him to make sure it’s your passion and you follow your dreams and if you do that you can make it happen.”

Besides karate and taekwondo, Cassarino is busy with school and sometimes gets up at 5:30 a.m. to practice and then attends school at Nashua Catholic Regional and spends time in the library doing homework until his afternoon classes due to a 50-minute commute. His family plans to move to Amherst to make his schedule a bit easier to manage.

Cassarino’s philosophy is, “never really give up, just continue if you have trouble just work hard and don’t just stop because you can’t do it because eventually you will get better and better and have of perseverance.”