Taekwondo, which was learned for the self-defense of Liverpool MF who was bullied, is a great help to soccer

Apr 12, 2025

Taekwondo, which was learned for the self-defense of Liverpool MF who was bullied, is a great help to soccer
Olivia Smith SNS Capture



Taekwondo, which was learned for the self-defense of Liverpool MF who was bullied, is a great help to soccer
ReutersYonhap News
Taekwondo, which was learned for the self-defense of Liverpool MF who was bullied, is a great help to soccer
APYonhap News
The midfielder, who joined Liverpool with 'Club Records', confessed that he learned Taekwondo, a traditional Korean martial art, to protect himself after being bullied in school.

Olivia Smith (21), Canada's current national striker, drew attention when she moved from Sporting CP Women (Portugal) to Liverpool Women in July last year for the club's highest transfer fee of 210,000 pounds (about 390 million won)

Smith told the British daily `The Guardian' on the 11th(local time) that `My father has invested so much in football. I was exposed to all sports, but I thought soccer was the best sport. As I was agonizing between taekwondo and soccer, I started to focus on soccer when I was about eight or nine years old."




According to 'Guardian', Smith participated in the 'Just for Kicks' program in his hometown of Whitby, located near Toronto, from the age of three. Smith said "My father seems to have found something special in me."

Taekwondo, which was learned for the self-defense of Liverpool MF who was bullied, is a great help to soccer
Olivia Smith SNS Capture
Smith continued "I've always liked to score. I used to watch videos of Marta and Christine Sinclair as children. I've always wanted to own the ball, score goals. Sometimes I would take the ball away from my teammates and score a goal."

When I was an elementary school student, I also had a heartbreaking experience of being bullied. Smith said "Those friends must be regretting now."




Smith began practicing Taekwondo for self-defense. Taekwondo was very helpful in playing soccer. That's in every way, power, discipline, and attitude. My favorite thing was sparring"The training was really harsh. I once cried because of hard training, but in the end, I felt rewarded.'

Smith broke the record for the youngest appearance for the Canadian national team in 2019 at the age of 15. He scored his third goal in a friendly match against South Korea in Spain in December last year, leading the team to a 5-1 victory.

Smith, who quickly distinguished himself by moving to Sporting, Portugal in 2023, has scored six goals in 15 games in the Women's Super League this season while wearing a Liverpool uniform.






This article was translated by Naver AI translator.