Fourteen-year-old badminton star, Nicole K., has been playing badminton since she was eight. When her coach asked her to train in explosiveness and agility, she came to the OFJCC. Nicole has been working with personal trainer Dillon Gates to increase strength, improve stamina and move faster. Since her training, Nicole has excelled in tournaments and has even moved up an age group! Since Nicole placed 1st at a tournament in Frisco, she has been selected to represent team USA at the 2022 Pan Am Junior Championship in the Dominican Republic on 7/18–7/22. Good luck in the Dominican Republic!
- Where are you from, how old are you and what grade are you in?
I am from Palo Alto. I am 14 years old and will be a freshman in high school.
- How long have you been playing badminton?
I have been playing badminton for 6 years since I was 8.
- How did you get into it?
One of my mom’s friends introduced me to the sport and I just stuck with it.
- Do you play any other sports?
I don’t play any other sports as badminton takes up a lot of time and energy.
- How did you get started with the Oshman Family JCC?
My mom had a membership with the OFJCC and found out that they had personal training classes.
- What were you looking for in terms of training?
I was looking to increase muscle, get stronger, and increase my stamina.
- How has it been working with Dillon?
I feel like I have improved with the training that I got from Dillon. My badminton coach noticed a difference!
- What and where is your next competition coming up?
My next tournament is called Pan Ams which I will be playing in a week in the Dominican Republic.
- Have you ever played badminton against your parents?
I haven’t played against my parents before because they never learned badminton.
- Have you traveled out of the country for badminton before?
I traveled out of the country last year in 2021 to Mexico for Junior Pan Am games.
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