Sarasota Athlete of the Week: Isaac Weintraub

Sarasota’s Isaac Weintraub competes in taekwondo at the University of Central Oklahoma. He won gold in the Men’s Flyweight at the National Collegiate Taekwondo Championships on April 8 in Washington, D.C. Weintraub will compete in the USA Taekwondo National Championships on July 7 in Salt Lake City.

When did you start competing in taekwondo?

I was 5. My parents (Leisa and Richard Weintraub) put me into it.

What is the appeal to you?

I’m very competitive. At the end of the day, I like feeling that need to compete and do something active, and I can really only do combat (sports). Anything with a physical side. I’ll play basketball and mess around, etc., but I need that physical contact.

What is your best skill?

Kicking people in the head (laughs). If you can do it well, it becomes one of the best attributes to have (as a fighter).

What is your favorite memory?

Going to opening ceremonies and being in front of 35,000, 40,000 people in a stadium. I was in Israel last summer, and you walk out as Team USA and it’s like … there’s no words that can describe that feeling. It’s one of the coolest things you can do.

What is the biggest challenge you've faced?

The level of competition. Other countries put millions of dollars into this and commit to it. I’m a full-time student. I have to do so much more.

What is your favorite food?

After dieting, anything with carbs (laughs).

What is your favorite movie?

I’d say “Super Troopers” or “Step Brothers,” anything funny.

What is your dream vacation?

Either a tropical beach somewhere or backpacking through Europe. A foreign country, a beach, just hanging out, that sounds amazing. And I have a lot of friends who have backpacked and said it’s one of the coolest things you can do.

What is your biggest fear?

My biggest normal fear is heights. My irrational fear is geese. They scare me. They are all over my campus and they attack people at random times. I just hate them. I’ll cross the street to avoid geese.

Finish this sentence: "Isaac Weintraub is … "

… Awesome. It seems like the perfect fit (laughs).