Imagine having a dream so bold that no one else has ever achieved it.
“Meet Jordan Stewart – national team taekwondo athlete whose dream in life is to serve his country by representing Canada around the world as a military soldier and through sport as the first Canadian Armed Forces Olympic Gold Medalist.”
Paris 2024 would be 18 years since a fascination with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, led 6 year old Jordan to fittingly choose taekwondo as an after school activity and quickly it became his passion. A self-described unmotivated, overweight and shy kid, Jordan made the decision at the age of 13 to take his health and preparation more seriously and started practicing more. It was then that he truly fell in love with the sport but more importantly with the process of working hard for what he wanted in life. Jordan continues that process on a daily basis driving him to new heights and guiding him through the ups and downs of his 8 years as a national team member and world class competitor. That process was put to the ultimate test in 2016 when he suffered a broken orbital bone in one of matches leaving his athletic career and Olympic dream in a state of uncertainty. The devastation from his injury required reconstructive surgery to his face with a metal plate inserted leaving him unable to train and compete for 6 months. This meant he was no longer eligible for funding.
“Being a high-performance athlete and being told you can’t do the thing you love made life seem very dim. I found myself at one of my lowest points. But not knowing this low would lead to such an extraordinary turn of events. Due to the lack of funds, I had to find a part-time job to help support my athletic career. I was at a point in school and sports that I felt like I was becoming too self-involved and was getting lost in my day-to-day routine. I wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself and something that would allow me to give back to my community while still learning and developing crucial life and social skills.”
Jordan turned to the military and is currently a reservist in the Canadian Armed Forces serving as Mobile Support and Equipment Operation with the 32 Service Battalion based out of Toronto.
“Many people didn’t believe in me and my dream. I was constantly told I was too small, too fat, too slow, I am not good enough, and I don’t have what it takes to be the best.”
Today, he is the highest-ranked male taekwondo athlete in Canada and has been for the last 6 years. He is currently ranked 7th in the world in the 87kg weight class. He is a world medalist and has also recently defeated the world number one.
Jordan has applied to CAN Fund to fill the funding gap of being an elite Canadian athlete. CAN Fund support would not only help him afford to pay for the necessary travel to training camps and competitions, extra physiotherapy and the training equipment he needs but it would also provide a mental boost at a critical time in his journey less than two year to Paris 2024 saying we believe in you Jordan and your Olympic dream.
