DEI Committee’s Dr. Olga Shurchkov interviews Master Becky Faaborg in celebration of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day

March 8, 2021

Today is March 8th which is celebrated across the world as International Women’s Day. It is a day dedicated to recognizing the social, economic, cultural and political contributions of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender equality. I can think of no one better-suited to represent this celebration than my colleague on the DEI Committee of ITF America – Master Becky Faaborg, VII Dan.

I first met Master Becky in early 2020 – on Zoom, in the post-COVID world. She had held the rank of Master for some time at that point. And Taekwon-Do practitioners anywhere know just how impressive it is to meet a female Master. Out of all 7th Degrees and up, a measly 6% are women! Yet, she seemed humble, open, and approachable. I knew she was a special person right away – someone I admired and wished to emulate.

Since then, I have been working with Master Becky on the ITF America DEI Committee and Women’s Subcommittee, and I found out more and more inspirational facts about her Taekwon-Do journey and her contributions as a healthcare professional, an educator, a teacher of Taekwon-Do, a Dojang owner, a marathoner, a mother and a wife, a community leader, and a fighter.

This interview will tell you not just more about her life, but about yours: how YOU can face and overcome challenges, use your support systems and the tenets of Taekwon-Do, and set and achieve goals.