REGION IX

Sylvia Thibado, A-4-224, daughter of Victor and Ardis Perrine, was born on May 27, 1960, and grew up on a farm near Welcome, Minnesota. In high school, she excelled in sports, band, and graduated as class salutatorian. She completed a general secretary course at Jackson Vo-Tech and managed a racquetball/health club in Fairmont, Minnesota.

At the age of twenty-three, she saw a Taekwon-Do demonstration and was hooked. As a color belt, Mrs. Thibado trained under Mr. Rich Morrell, IV Degree in Longmont, Colorado and received high test score at her 1st degree black belt test in January, 1987. As a black belt, she actively trained with Master Sereff at Sereff Taekwon-Do in Broomfield, Colorado. Mrs. Thibado received best Ho-Sin-Sool award at her 2nd degree test in December of 1988 and also accepted the opportunity to be head instructor at Berthoud Taekwon-Do. She was promoted to 3rd degree in December of 1991, in Broomfield, Colorado, and received high test score at her 4th degree test in Florida in December of 1994, with Master Sereff, Master Lang, and Master Winegar presiding on the test board.

Sylvia was married to her husband, Pete Thibado, V Dan, in February of 1994 and together they hosted the USTF 20th Anniversary TKD Cruise, with Master Sereff as guest instructor.

Highlights of her competition include achieving gold medals in women's team patterns and gold in her individual pattern and sparring divisions at North American Championships, Ottawa, Canada in November, 1995; first place in power hand and foot breaking, first in black belt patterns, and women's grand champion at Odessa, Texas in November, 1992; gold medal in sparring at USTF National Black Belt Championships in Duxbury, Massachusetts in October of 1992; and competing in specialty breaking at World Championships in Malaysia in July, 1994.

From white belt through fourth degree, she has not taken even a week off from her Taekwon-Do training. Mrs. Thibado was certified as a Class C Referee in September of 1987, as a Class B Referee in March of 1991, and accomplished USTF Class A Referee in November of 1994. She has attended Sereff's Camp Taekwon-Do in Colorado in the summers of 1991, 1993, and in 1995, and World Camp in Palmerston North, New Zealand in 1992.

Mrs. Thibado first became a USTF Certified Instructor in April of 1991 and attended the USTF Instructor Course taught by Master Winegar again in November of 1993 in Crystal River, Florida.

Mrs. Thibado attended her first International Instructor Course taught by General Choi Hong Hi, Master Sereff in Miami, Florida in November 1991 and again in Denver, Colorado in March of 1993. She attended the ITF Instructor Course taught by General Choi Hong Hi in Odessa, Texas in February, 1994, and also in Santa Barbara, California in February, 1995. She attended the ITF World Conference Seminar held in Toronto in April of 1996. Mrs. Thibado was appointed to the position of Region 9 Director at Master Sereff's Inaugural ITF Instructor Course in Miami, Florida, in June of 1996.

Sylvia and Pete Thibado teach their weekly Taekwon-Do classes at the Meadowcrest Banquet Hall in Crystal River and at the Fire Station in Homosassa, Florida. Thibado Taekwon-Do performs demonstrations for red ribbon week (drug-free awareness) deaf services center, the annual health fest, and other community events. Mrs. Thibado teaches women's self defense courses and classes for preschool children. Pete Thibado is the Director of Region 10 for the USTF, including the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. As Director of Region 9, Sylvia Thibado is in charge of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Mrs. Thibado feels fortunate for the tremendous gift of knowledge by General Choi Hong Hi, Master C.E. Sereff, Master Walt Lang, Master Mike Winegar, Ms. Renee Sereff (soon to be our first woman Master) and our other very talented instructors in our organization. Sylvia feels especially privileged to belong to the United States Taekwon-Do Federation and the International Taekwon-Do Federation, not only for the quality technique and exceptional instructors, but for all the wonderful people that make our organization what it is.

Contact points:

Email: PThibado@citrus.infi.net

Phone: (352) 621-0708

Address: P.P.Box 1335, Homosassa Springs, Florida 34447

ITF/USTF Region IX: States included in this region:

• Florida. State Director: Mr. Pete Thibado, VI Dan and Mr. Joe Grey, VI Dan.
• Georgia. State director: Ms. Sylvia Thibado, V Dan.
• South Carolina. State director: Mr. Richard Kimball.
• North Carolina. Mr. Jeremy Kempka, IV Dan

ITF/USTF National information:

• The United States Taekwon-Do Federation (USTF).

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