7/31/2019 Groulx yearbook3

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TV cameras, two blocks,

Sang Won Han yells to his team led

out behind him. The Hwangs Maral

Arts SWAT Team keeps the energy level

at high, and connues running and

performing, just as they have been for

the past 6 blocks. The Pegasus Parade

heads down Broadway, spannning

from Chestnut to 9th Street- a total of

17 blocks. The crowd of 250,000 are

waing to see the demonstraon, the

determinaon of the performers. If

only they could see the ip side...

Hours earlier, the team loung-

es in the shade of the oat, taking a

break from pracce. So there are fourthings people dont know about SWAT

team, Renee Groulx, 16, says. One.

We eat ALL the me. Two. We can

sleep ANYWHERE. Three. We are the

best actors ever. And four, [Instructor]

Han is the only one who can dance.

The team around her laughs, consent-

ing with all but the last statement. I

can dance! Nathan Pierce, 17, says.

Like a retarded chicken! Groulx coun-

ters, and the laughter begins again.

The SWAT Team is a ght-knit

group, as demonstrated by the myriad

of inside jokes oang around, and the

casualness with which the team sits

together in the shade of the decorated

Hwangs oat. Here, they are all just a

normal group of teenagers, but when

it comes down to business, they are

anything but. Grandmaster wants to

insure that we are professional and

prepared at all mes, and thats what

we are. Usually, says Groulx. The ex -

cepon probably being SWAT pracce.

When you put us all in one space aer

all the me we spend together, some-

thing is bound to happen, she says.

Chris Boroomand, 19, rounds

the corner then, munching on some

sort of food item. Oh my god, Chris!

What is that, like, your fourth bag of

chips? Groulx asks, gesturing to the

Doritos bag in his hand. Maybe, he

replies. But you know me! Goa eat.

Groulxs statement of eang

all the me was hardly an exaggeraon.

SWAT polished o a value box of 36

bags of assorted chips in under half an

hour. Sleeping anywhere didnt seemlike a problem either, with mulple

team members napping curled up

against the oat, resng on the pave-

ment, and even back-to-back.

Aer break, the team cycles

back into focus mode, kicking targets,

praccing their technique, and plong

their order for the parade. Although

theyve done this for hours already

today, they have to have it perfect.

Youve got to put on a good show,

Groulx explains. See, acng, she says

with a wink. We know when its the

me to focus, and when we can have

fun. In the background Boroomand

yells, Lets do it! as they hit the pave-

ment.

In front of the cameras, they

break their boards perfectly, and the

crowd goes wild. I feel like a celebrity

aer these things, Groulx says running

to catch back up. If only the audience

could see behind-the-scenes.

KINETICENERGY

^^CRACK A SMILE// Renee Groulx, Aya

Zbedah, and Sarah Clark pose in front of the

Hwangs oat before the parade, while June

Hwang steals the picture.

>>(1) LEAN BACK// Ali Musa and Aya Zbedah

lean on Chris Boroomand in midst of coversa-

on during break.

>>(2) MUNCHIES// Chris Boroomand nishes

o a bag of Doros during break. SWAT would

nish the whole box of 36 bags in 30 minutes.

1 2

^^FOCUS// SWAT Team Cap-

tain Sang Won Han stretches

back out while SWAT is being

staged for the parade.

PAPPARAZZI// SWAT mem-

ber, Marshall Ferguson, plays

shy for the camera during

break.

Hwangs Martial Arts SWAT Team is known for theirmaturity, determination, and skillful technique. Whatthe audience of the Pegasus Parade didnt see is lifebehind-the-scenes of these teens.

THIS ONE TIME...

YOU DONT KNOW SWAT

We were at an all-nighttraining and basically ev-eryone lost their minds.Thats all I can tell you.-MarshallFerguson(center)

Members of SWAT share their favoritemoments with the team.

At the Pegasus Parade, theseclowns came driving past andscared me so bad, I took orunning down the street. Ev-eryone was laughing becauseIm supposed to brave orsomething...-Sarah Clark

We were doing demo prac-ce and I had some terribleenergy drink and farted inthe middle of pracce. Rightat that moment, the sewerline broke, and the enreplace smelled TERRIBLE! AndI got blamed. -Chris Boroomand

SWAT Team handles almost every Hwangs funcon. They work anywherebetween 15-25 hour workweeks and volunteer their me on the week-

ends for belt tests or discipline trainings. If you love it, you hardly noce,

Groulx says. But dont get me wrong, it can all add up! So thats exactly

what we did.

20

38

126

typical evening hours

total hours per week

summer camp hours

weekend hours+

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