MANSFIELD – Linda Nunes-Quimby took the stage at the Taekwondo Nationals in Charlotte, North Carolina, at 39 years old. Some of her competitors had made the sport a lifelong goal. Nunes-Quimby pursued the sport for less than a decade.
But that hasn’t limited the Mansfield woman.
The hunk of bronze on a band, now hanging around her neck, wasn’t the initial goal, either.
Nunes-Quimby spent the first three decades of her life away from athletics. That changed when her kids started taekwondo.
Nunes-Quimby, more than 150 pounds heavier than she is today, began taking fitness classes at the same gym and later transitioned into combat sports.
“The space we trained in … the kids would have their class, then I would have mine,” Nunes-Quimby said. “Scheduling always felt easy. That was a big part of it.”
It quickly became a hard-to-shake habit.
“The big thing for me was just finding a form of movement that would stick,” Nunes-Quimby said. “Knowing that a coach is expecting me to show up, or an instructor is expecting me at class … was really motivating for me, especially in the beginning.
“I struggled with my weight my whole life, and the key factor for me was finding something that I could consistently do to keep my body moving.”
Nunes-Quimby attempted other forms of exercise, but none stuck. It was hard to maintain a consistent routine that kept her active if she didn’t find it enjoyable.
“I had a hard time holding myself accountable for going out on a run or going to the gym and lifting weights on my own,” Nunes-Quimby said. “I would cancel on myself, but I won’t cancel on anyone else.”
Then came taekwondo, and weight began to shed quickly. Nunes-Quimby was moving better and feeling healthier than she had in years. She referred to the martial art as a “gateway drug,” and soon the habit became an addiction.
Taekwondo was also the gateway to a healthier lifestyle. Nunes-Quimby found she could participate consistently, and it made her accountable to a routine.
She began running, strength training, taking yoga classes, and participating in additional combat sports classes such as Muay Thai. Eventually, Nunes-Quimby took her newfound passion and fitness to a national scale.
“It’s interesting. It’s almost like it happened, and I didn’t even notice it,” Nunes-Quimby said. “A few years ago, the team that I was training with decided that we were going to do a tournament up in Michigan, and we went just for fun.
“It was incredible. I loved the feeling of competing … there’s something about walking into a room filled with hundreds, or even thousands, of other people whose favorite thing is your favorite thing, and who are all there to play your favorite game.”
Nunes-Quimby reminds people that combat sports are just like other point-based games. The violent nature of it is a mask, in a way, and Nunes-Quimby noted she’s become friends with those she competes against.
“It kicked off as just something fun to do, and then once I did that a few times, I realized that I wanted to keep doing that more, and it just spiraled into what it is now,” Nunes-Quimby said.
“(I would) get asked if you want to do a tournament, and the answer is never no, for me, because it’s just always a great time.”
Saying yes took Nunes-Quimby to the USA Taekwondo Nationals in Charlotte. She fought hard, competed in the black belt division for the first time, and brought home a bronze medal.
The habit she took up to spend time with her kids and hopefully shed a few pounds changed Nunes-Quimby’s life. It changed her body, her mental health and her outlook on athletics, too.
“I always just thought that I just like didn’t like sports,” Nunes-Quimby said. “It turns out I just didn’t have the right guidance or the right motivation.
“I’m doing this so that I can be better at my favorite game.”
