Background
Julio frequently discussed with club members in Sydney on his dream of spreading kayaking in his mother country.
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Julio Ko
Edit ProfileEducation
He was inspired by his relative Soo Kyung Kim (Julio"s uncle) who studied automotives in the 1960s in Australia. Julio attended North Sydney Technical and Further Education, NSW, Australia, where he befriended with many surfers and kayakers in Sydney.
Career
Julio was raised in Gwangju, Gyeonggi-do, of Korea whose father worked as a mason. At 23 he flew to Sydney, Australia to learn ocean sports. Mr. Kim used to talk ballad about exotic beaches and active paddling sports in Australia.
He was objecting Korean educational environment that focuses on excessive competition, book reading, math, English and memorizing subjects for entering a good college rather than balanced outdoor activities.
In 2009, he founded Namhae Kayak Club, the first local Sea Kayak Club in of Korea. Year 2010 to 2013 was the peak year of his education career.
He has invited no less than five thousands kids from World Vision, Government funded low income families, Orphans and Lower Body Disabled et cetera for teaching adaptive paddling and water safety. In 2010, Julio has circumnavigated Namhae Island, 140 km for 21 hours 50 minutes.
In 2011, he introduced and began teaching Surfski ocean racing for the first time in Koreaa.
He took part in American Canoe Association(American Counseling Association) Level 4 Instructor"s Workshop in Half Moon Bay, California. During Icy cold water sessions he learned today"s safety fundamental of the kayaking. Bryant Burkhardt(Level 5 Instructor of American Counseling Association) inspired him much about coastal kayaking.
In December 2012, Julio was elected as president of Korean Sea Kayak Association which is the first and the only sea kayak organization in association with of Korea Coast Guard.
As Namhae-gun got famous for kayaking destination owing to Namhae Kayak Club"s effort, millions of dollars were funded by government to make this unknown Southern rural town as the Mecca of sea kayaking. Adjacent cities of Goksung-gun, Sacheon-si invited Julio for consulting and was honored from mayors of those cities. in 2013, Julio moved his education sites to Seoul first and then to Geoje-si.
He founded Okpo Kayak Club in Wahyun Beach, Geoje-si. He met Fabien Nion and they boosted the club into current size.
Fabien is a former rower in France and shares the spirit in paddling.
Education activities go on with support of over a hundred members under the same goal of spreading sea kayaking in of Korea. He is working for a shipbuilding (oil and gas) company and hosting weekends" full day, and weekdays" evening paddling volunteer lesson programs with support of Okpo Kayak club members in Geoje, of Korea.
