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Julio Ko (born in 1970, also known as 고병국, Byeong Guk Ko) is a Korean sea kayaker and outdoor educator who has raised thousands of students and kids in adaptive paddling and water sports safety since 2009. ==Biography== Julio was raised in Gwangju, Gyeonggi-do, Korea whose father worked as a mason. At 23 he flew to Sydney, Australia to learn ocean sports. He was inspired by his relative Soo Kyung Kim (Julio's uncle) who studied automotives in the 1960s in Australia. Mr. Kim used to talk ballad about exotic beaches and active paddling sports in Australia. Julio attended North Sydney TAFE, NSW, Australia, where he befriended with many surfers and kayakers in Sydney. Julio frequently discussed with club members in Sydney on his dream of spreading kayaking in his mother country. 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 Korea.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=남해타임즈 )〕 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 etc. for teaching adaptive paddling and water safety. In 2010, Julio has circumnavigated Namhae Island, 140 km for 21 hours 50 minutes.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=남해타임즈 )〕 In 2011, he introduced and began teaching Surfski ocean racing for the first time in Koreaa. He took part in American Canoe Association(ACA) 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 ACA) inspired him much about coastal kayaking. In 2012, Julio trained a few middle aged housewives who never kayaked before, one of those won the female's National Kayaking Racing in Yeosu Expo Event. 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 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. Namhae-gun invited and awarded Julio for consulting and 'Namhae Waterpark Project' was invented after years' study and survey. Adjacent cities of Goksung-gun, Sacheon-si invited Julio for consulting and was honored from mayors of those cities.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=남해신문 )〕〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=남해신문 )〕〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=SBS 뉴스 )〕 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 Korea.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Facebook )〕 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, Korea. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Julio Ko」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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