A week before going to Little Rock, Ark., Lorenzo Rangel-Santos, 10, underwent an emergency procedure on his left hand, hoping that he would be able to use the hand without much pain during the annual American Taekwondo Association (ATA) World Championships, held at the end of June.

One year before, while training at Gavin Espinosa's Black Belt Academy in Valencia, Lorenzo was determined to accomplish three goals in his taekwondo career: 1) to be a member of the ATA World Demo Team; 2) to be a California Five-Title State Champion; and 3) to be a World Champion.

This fifth-grader from St. Bernardine of Siena School in Woodland Hills set out to do just that, as he competed in tournaments throughout 2007-2008 in California, Nevada, Missouri, Illinois, Arizona, Florida and Texas.

Lorenzo realized his first goal by becoming one of the youngest members of the ATA World Demo Team. The Demo Team performed in the opening ceremonies of the ATA 2008 World Championships.

At the end of the 2007-2008 tournament season, he accomplished his second goal of becoming the California State Champ in all five of his event categories - Traditional Forms, Traditional Weapons, Sparring, Xtreme Weapons and Xtreme Open Hand Form.

This feat positioned him with a top 10 placement in all five categories, enabling him to compete for a world title.

Lorenzo realized his dream this year to become a World Champion, winning a gold medal in Traditional Weapons in the first of his five competitions. By the time the World Championships was over, Lorenzo had accomplished the following:

1. World Champion (gold medal) in traditional weapons;

2. Bronze medal in Xtreme weapons;

3. Silver medal in Xtreme open-hand forms;

4. Bronze medal in traditional forms;

5. Bronze medal in sparring.

For the 2008-2009 season, which began on the final day at the World Championships, Lorenzo placed first in sparring and second in traditional forms and traditional weapons. With these goals accomplished, Lorenzo now prepares to earn his third-degree black belt in October 2008.

Older brother Daniel Rangel-Santos, 12, a third-degree black belt and a Level One Certified Instructor for taekwondo, also competed in the World Championships and began his 2008-2009 season by placing first in traditional weapons and traditional forms and third in sparring. Daniel is a seventh-grader at St. Bernardine of Siena School in Woodland Hills.