For the second year in a row, a Maple Ridge martial artist is returning a world champion from the ATA Martial Arts Worlds.
Fedi Mahdi was one of six Maple Ridge martial artists who travelled down to Arizona in July to compete in the international tournament.
ATA Maple Ridge owner Nick White explained that the Worlds event includes martial artists from taekwondo schools in Canada, the U.S., Argentina, Brazil, Chile, South Africa, and many other parts of the world.
Mahdi won the World Champion title in the Extreme Weapons category, but he wasn't the only ATA Maple Ridge competitor to come away with a podium finish, with the local martial arts school collecting a total of 17 medals at this year's Worlds.
"I am incredibly proud of Fedi and all our students who competed,” said White. “To see our team achieve such success, including Fedi’s journey from a white belt to world champion, is truly inspiring and speaks volumes about their dedication and talent."
The total list of Maple Ridge medal winners include:
• Fedi Mahdi (Extreme Weapons - World Champion and 1st)
• Nick White (International Team Combat - 3rd, Sparring - 1st)
• Rayen Madhi (Extreme Forms - 2nd, Extreme Weapons - 2nd, Sparring - 3rd)
• Yasmine Madhi (Creative Weapons - 2nd and 3rd, Combat - 2nd and 3rd, Extreme Forms - 1st and 2nd, Extreme Weapons - 2nd, Forms - 2nd)
• Chase Bradbury (Combat - 3rd)
• Kesler Frederick-Schwan (Sparring - 3rd)
This latest batch of ATA Martial Arts Worlds wins comes on the heels of last year's ATA Maple Ridge victory, where the martial arts school crowned Elsa Chen as a world champion in Extreme Forms.
