Tyler Phippen has learned early what it takes to succeed in athletics, and after winning a gold medal in the taekwondo Pan Am Junior championship, the Tahoma High senior also discovered what it means.

“The overall goal I had was what it would be like to represent the United States,” Phippen said. “I always had that to drive me, and it was unreal. It was awesome.”

The 17-year-old Phippen is much like any other senior at Tahoma, except he spent 2009 winning one taekwondo match after another, capping the streak with the gold in the heavyweight division of the Pan Am Junior championship Nov. 22 in San Salvador, El Salvador.

He began learning taekwondo at the age of 7, and has spent the last 10 years with coach John Phillips at his Maple Valley studio, Phillips Taekwondo Center.

Phippen has been competing nationally for seven years.

While Phippen trained for Pan Am championship, he was also playing starting fullback and outside linebacker for the Tahoma High football team.

Phippen credits his the football team with improving his stamina during the taekwondo matches.

After football practice, he would head to Phillips’ studio twice a week and Saturdays. Phippen said his teammates came in during the week and on Saturdays to help him get ready for the championship.

“They gave up their Saturdays to help me,” Phippen said.

Phillips, who has a fourth-degree black belt, said he has been coaching for 20 years, and Phippen is the first student from his Maple Valley studio to “make the national team. We’ve been trying for years and we’ve come really close. It’s a lengthy process to qualify.”

After making his way through qualifying matches in July, Phippen competed in August for the Pan Am Junior team in the nationals at Colorado Springs.

“By the time we got to the nationals there was one spot across the nation,” Phippen said.

He made the Junior Olympic team by winning a fight off in the 172 pound and up heavyweight division.

The next stop was San Salvador and the Junior Pan Am games.

Phippen said the team left Nov. 16 and the tournament began Nov. 20.

His three matches took place Sunday, Nov. 22.

In the first match his opponent was from Mexico.

“He was shorter and slower and I knew I could keep him away,” Phippen said. “The match felt different, but at the same time I felt confident. I stuck with what I learned from John (Phillips), to feel him out in the first round.”

The matches consisted of three, 2 minute rounds. Phippen beat the opponents from Mexico and Costa Rica, which set up the final against the Brazilian opponent.

“In the first two I felt I was in control, but in the final he (the Brazilian) was taller,” Phippen said. “He was quicker than the other two.”

Phippen lead for nearly the entire match, until the last 10 seconds. Phippen said the Brazilian, “caught me in the head.”

The Brazilian tied it up and the match went into sudden death overtime. The first to score would win the gold.

“That got my nerves going,” Phippen said. “I thought I had it and it might get taken away.”

Phippen said in overtime the Brazilian attacked and they went into a clutch.

“I stepped, got a kick up and scored,” Phippen said.

Once he scored, Phippin said, “Everyone started going crazy. It’s hard to put all the emotions into words. But when I heard the national anthem (on the medal stand) it was amazing.”