Sports Envoy
Sports Envoy Program

Sunny Choi

Breaking

Served as envoy

  • 2023  –  France

Sunny began breaking during her freshman year in college in Philadelphia. In 2012, she moved to NYC where she began traveling and battling around the world. With 15 years of experience in gymnastics and 15 years in breaking, her achievements include winning silver at the 2022 World Games and also at the 2019 WDSF World Championships as well as being a semifinalist at the 2022 Red Bull BC One World Finals. Always dancing with a smile on her face, she hopes to inspire others to be comfortable expressing themselves through dance.

Jacob Lyons

Breaking

Served as envoy

  • 2023  –  France

Jacob “Kujo” Lyons is a deaf/hard of hearing b-boy, choreographer, teacher, and motivational speaker, based in Los Angeles, California. He has been breaking for over 30 years and is considered a pioneer of a number of movements now accepted as standard breaking vocabulary.

He has judged many of the largest international breaking competitions in the world, has taught at nearly all levels (from street corners in India to universities in Japan), has presented his choreography in international festivals of dance and circus, and has worked with US Embassies in various countries under a variety of US State Department-sponsored programs.

He has a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Kinesiology, and his knowledge of anatomy, biomechanics and fundamental human movement permeate his classes and workshops. Many of these workshops – often in concert with ILL-Abilities Crew – have been geared towards the differently-abled population, in which basic b-boy movements are adapted to fit a wide variety of limitations.

Kujo now serves as the Chair of the Officials Committee in Breaking for Gold USA, the Breaking Division of USA Dance, which is the organization tasked with sending American breakers to the 2024 Olympics in Paris. In this role, Kujo oversees the certification of judges for Olympic-related events, trains the judges, teaches our judging system to athletes and coaches, and aims to uphold the highest standard of conduct and excellence in judging.

Nina Cutro-Kelly

Judo

Served as envoy

  • 2017  –  France

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
Senior World Judo Championship Teams: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2017
US Senior National Judo Champions: 2003, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
Junior World Judo Championship Team : 2002
3 x SAMBO World Championships Bronze Medalist: 2011, 2014, 2016
2 x SAMBO Moscow Super World Cup Champion: 2014, 2015
2013 French BJJ National Champion
2005 US Heavyweight Women’s Wrestling Champion
RECENT COMPETITION RESULTS :
2017:
● Pan American Championships – Bronze
● Ladies Belgian Open – 5th
2016:
● El Salvador Continental Open – Gold
● Lima Continental Open – Bronze
● US Senior National Championships – Gold
● Pan American Championships Team
2015:
● El Salvador Continental Open – Gold
● Pan American Championships – Bronze
● Pan American Games – Bronze
● Santiago Continental Open – Bronze
● Port Louis Continental Open – Bronze
● Wollongong Continental Open – Bronze
● US Senior National Championships – Gold
2014:
● Miami Continental Open – Bronze
● El Salvador Continental Open – Bronze
● US Senior National Championships – Gold
● Pan American Championships Team

Mariah Holguin

Judo

Served as envoy

  • 2017  –  France

Mariah Holguin is a Junior at Johnson High School. Mariah is ranked Internationally at 57kg for Senior and U21. Mariah is the top ranked U18 and U21 athlete at 57kg in the U.S.. She is ranked 3rd on the Senior Elite Roster at 57kg. She was a member of the Johnson Band during her Freshman and Sophomore years. As a result of her travel and competition schedule she was not able to continue in the band. For her age Mariah has impressive portfolio of countries that she has traveled: France x2, Belgium, Abu Dhabi, Sarajevo, England, Japan, and Canada, Cyprus, Peru, El Salvador. Mariah was a member of the 2015 Cadet World Team and the 2015 Junior World Team.

Experience:

2017-57kg
2017 US Senior Nationals-2nd place
2017 Lima Open-3rd Place
2017 US Scholastic Nationals-U18 2nd place
2017 Texas State Championships U18,U21,and Senior1st place
2016-57kg
2016 Sambo Cadet World Championships Bronze Medal
USA Judo U18 National Champion
USA Judo U21 National Champion
2016 USA Judo Scholastic Nationals Outstanding Athlete Award
US Senior Nationals-5th place
USA Judo Junior Olympic U18 National Champion
USA Judo U21 International Champion
2015-52kg
USA Judo U18, U21- 2nd place
USA Judo Automatic Black Belt promotion
US Senior Nationals -3rd place
USA Judo Cadet World Team – Sarajevo, Bosnia
USA Judo Junior World Team- Abu Dhabi UAE
England Judo National Training Camp participant
2014-48kg
USA Judo Scholastic Nationals- 2nd place
USA Judo Junior Olympics- 1st place
USA Judo Junior Olympics U18 International-2nd place

Jim Hrbek

Judo

Served as envoy

  • 2017  –  France

8TH DEGREE BLACK BELT – USA JUDO

Positions
Chairman – High Performance Committee – USA Judo
USA Judo National Coaching Staff
Head Coach, Universal Judo
San Antonio, TX

Certifications
USA Judo International Gold Level Coach
US Judo Association Master Coach
US Judo Association Master Rank Examiner
Previous Administrative Positions
Junior High Performance Director – USA Judo – 2002-2017
Member USJI National Coaching Staff 1983-present
Chairman, Coaching and Training Committee of USJudo, Inc (1983-1992 and 1996-1997)
Co-ordinator for Women’s Judo, USJudo, Inc (1986- 1992)
Chairman, Women’s Selection Committee, USJudo, Inc (1986-1992)
Member, USJudo Inc Development Committee (1986- 1992)
Member USJudo, Inc Junior Committee (1988-1992)
Member USJudo Association Board of Directors (1980- 1984 approx.)
First President/ Founder of New York State Judo, Inc (1980-1982 approx.)

Honors and Awards
1992 Head Coach – US Women’s Olympic Judo Team
1986 United States Judo Association Coach of the Year
1986 Southland “Olympia” Award – first Coach recipient in any sport
2005 United States Olympic committee – National Judo Coach of the Year
2011 United States Olympic Committee Overall Development Coach of the Year

Memberships
Mensa
Intertel