Brianna Salinaro, a dedicated athlete who has faced unimaginable odds recently won four gold medals at the US and Canada Opens and currently holds the number one spot in the world for her division.

Winning gold medals in sparring and form earned the eighteen year old Massapequa student a world ranking of number one for her division.  “Having the title of the first female para-athlete for the United States of America definitely inspires me as well as having the goal of competing in the first Taekwondo paralympics in 2020,”  Salinaro says.

Her favorite part of tournaments is the ambience. :  “The atmosphere is something you can’t experience anywhere else.  I love watching other athletes spar and I love being surrounded by the crowds and the teams cheering and reaming.”

The skilled competitor shares that she has “learned that if you put your mind to it you can overcome any obstacle in life regardless of what anyone says,” an encouraging message for everyone.

The best advice someone ever told her was “to keep pursuing [her] passion regardless of her limited abilities-” which she is steadily proving may not be so limited after all.

Through all of her achievements, Salinaro has remained humble.  “[It] is an unbelievable feeling.  Before I competed in Para -divisions, I never really had a fair shot but now I’m able to compete on an even playing field and have the ability to make history, .  I could not be more thankful for that,”  Salinaro also finds inspiration in her “teammates and their national and international accomplishments.”

According to the talented young athlete, she “always had an interest in martial arts” and “began Taekwondo in the fall of 2009 to improve the restrictions of her cerebral palsy, loosen her muscles, and improve her balance.” In order to compete in both the US and Canada Open, Salinaro had to become a black belt fighter, a feat which can take 5 or more years to attain.

Salinaro advises any young and aspiring athletes “to continuously make goals!”

Despite all of her accomplishments, Salinaro does not plan on stopping any time soon.  This summer, she will compete at the National Championships in an effort to make the USA Para National Team.