Tom McArdle, a former student at Palmetto Middle and Palmetto High schools, has hopes of making the U.S. Olympic Tae Kwon Do Team. Given what he has accomplished the past couple of years that may not be as farfetched as you might think.

For starters, McArdle won gold in fighting and gold in forms in this year’s AAU State Championship, and won gold in fighting and silver in forms at the AAU National Championship.

For those of you not familiar with Tae Kwon Do competition, the "forms" part of the meet is somewhat like shadowboxing, where your technique, power and quickness are evaluated. The "fighting" part of the match is different from what you’d think a martial arts competition would be like. There are three, three- minute rounds and each kick, punch, etc., earns the fighters a certain number of points, but it is continuous full contact, much like boxing (winner determined by point total or knockout).

McArdle has been competing in the United States Tae Kwon Do Union (USTU), the national governing body for Tae Kwon Do, state tournament since 1994. In that time, McArdle has won 15 of 16 possible medals (he competed as both a junior and senior in 1996 and 1997) for forms and fighting: nine gold, four silver and two bronze.

He won the 1997 Junior Olympics gold for fighting and bronze for forms as well, and won gold in forms at the National Collegiate Championship this year and bronze in fighting.

The Nationals competition determines which fighters get to represent the U.S. in world competitions, and has become a source of frustration for McArdle. This year, he made it to Nationals only to tie the fighter who won bronze at the last World Championships, and who would go on to win gold at Nationals. In the event of a tie the referee chooses who gets to advance, and because of his opponent’s stature, he was chosen over McArdle to advance in fighting.

McArdle did win the bronze for forms, but it was small consolation. Like every athlete, his success has made him raise his own standards of success higher.

"I dream of making Worlds or even maybe the Olympics [where Tae Kwon Do will be a full medal sport for the first time in 2000]. I’ve been denied a couple of times so close that it just pushes me to work harder," he said.

McArdle has been training since he was 6 years old, and in a variety of places. He trains at the International Tae Kwon Do Center next to Spec’s on S. Dixie Highway (US 1) and SW 136th Street under Master Soo Se Cho, and credits him with his early interest in the art. He also trains with and is coached by Juan Moreno, a Cutler Ridge resident who was a silver medalist at the Olympics in 1988 and 1992.

His parents, George, a real estate developer, and Valerie, a massage therapist, moved Tom and his brother Michael, 16, to Pinecrest from near Howard Drive Elementary after Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

"I love Pinecrest. Growing up here and going to school here was the greatest. People like my counselor, Raul Fuertes, made it a great place to be, and helped me balance everything I was doing," he said.

McArdle also was on the water polo, swimming, and cross country teams at Palmetto, and is currently a starter on the water polo team at the University of Florida, where they have won the Southeastern Conference championship four years in a row.

McArdle is an accounting major at UF, and hopes to go into business one day like his older brother, Sean, who is opening a bagel store soon in Hollywood.

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