The Australian contingent at this year's ITF Asian Taekwon-Do Championships in South Korea was originally supposed to be much bigger.
But due to work, school, or not being able to pay for the trip, only two competitors ended up going.
"It was interesting, just the two of us putting up our flag," Anastasia Cariotis recalls.
"There were other squads, 30 to 40 strong. And you can really feel it when there's chanting coming from the grandstand.
"But it doesn't matter. You just block that out and you focus and do the job."
Anastasia Cariotis was part of the Australian contingent at this year's ITF Asian Taekwon-Do Championships in South Korea. Source: SBS World News
Her teammate was 15-year-old junior competitor Michael Luu, who said the opportunity to compete overseas was simply too good to pass up.
"I was really nervous because it was first time going to another country to compete for Australia," he explained.
"I wasn't expecting anything, but when I was watching the other teams, I felt like I could do better."
The tournament held mutiple events across two categories.
Patterns involves a series of choreographed movements, which saw Michael win a gold medal.
Anastasia, meanwhile, took gold in sparring.
The duo walked away with a total of seven medals from eight events, all without the financial backing enjoyed by many of their opponents.
For 15-year-old Michael Luu the competition was his first overseas. Source: SBS World News
"It was a bit of a shock," Anastasia laughed.
"The talent across the world is first class, and you're representing your country. It's a big deal, so you want to make your country proud, your club proud and your family proud."
A father's pride
Watching it all unfold was her father, and the team's coach, taekwondo master Spiridon Cariotis.
The veteran, who has practiced taekwondo for 45 years, has helped the sport flourish through his Melbourne martial arts school.
But training his own daughter since the age of four has added an extra element of satisfaction.
"Being a coach is a lonely world," he said.
"There are a lot of decisions that have to be made. Some decisions we like, some we don't, but they have to be made. "There are no short cuts for [Anastasia] . If she wants to succeed she has to work hard. But to watch my daughter progress through, I'm very proud."
It may be a year away, but the team already has its sights set on the next world championships in Argentina.
They say with the proper funding and the right talent, Australia will once again prove a big hit.
Anastasia won gold in sparring, while Michael took out gold for patterns. Source: SBS World News
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