N
orwin’s Xander Eddy is kicking it in style. Currently
ranked No. 1 in North America for kickboxing, the
local karate kid is the youngest American to win the
WAKO Pan American Kickboxing Championships
in history.
Alexander “Xander” Eddy, son of Adam and Dana Eddy,
will be going into 5th grade at Sunset Valley school in the
fall. He’s been doing karate as long as he can remember. “My
parents signed me up as a Norwin Ninja (sister program to
Viola Karate) when I was 4 years old because an older family
friend, Aidan Hudson, was doing it, and I wanted to be like
him,” says Xander. “My friends Colin, Ethan and Mike were
also Ninjas and today all of us are still doing it.”
Xander trains with his sensei Bill Viola Jr., who is
known throughout Norwin and the Pittsburgh area for his
expertise, and dedication to charity. “Our dojo supports the
PIND Kick-a-thon every Labor Day, which raises money
to ‘kick’ Parkinson’s disease,” notes Viola. “Last year we
donated over $10,000 to the charity.”
Viola’s dojo turns 50 this summer (1969-2019) and he
and his team are proud of their winning tradition. “Decades
and decades of champions in life,” says Viola.
Xander trains every day—so his parents built him his
own dojo room in their house. At the school, he trains with
Team Kumite (Allegheny Shotokan Viola Karate). Viola
coaches Xander in addition to Cameron Klos, Luke Lokay,
Lucy Lokay and Gabby Viola. “We all travel together around
the world and are like a family,” says Xander. “I love making
friends across the country. I have friends in Guatemala,
Canada, and all over the world.”
Xander has had a chance to compete with the best in
the world and won the Pan Am championships in 2018 in
Cancun, Mexico, currently the youngest in the nation to
do so. “I wanted to hold that American flag up so bad,” he
recalls. “When they played the national anthem, I knew I
made my coach and parents proud. To be the youngest is a
dream come true.”
Since then, Xander has been featured as a WTAE Action
Athlete of the Week and has competed and won AKA Grand
Nationals in Chicago, Compete Internationals in Los
Angeles, SMAC Internationals in New York and AmeriKick
Internationals in Atlantic City. He is slated for major
competitions in Detroit, Atlanta, Orlando and Miami to
complete the season. In June, he will try out to represent
America on the WKC Team USA. He was recently honored
by Governor Tom Wolf, Lt. Governor John Fetterman,
Senator Kim Ward and Rep. George Dunbar in Harrisburg
with a proclamation of his dedication and success in the
sport of karate and kickboxing.
“I’m proud that Xander represents the dojo with class—
win or lose, he acts like a champion,” says Viola. “He is
already one of the top 10-year-old fighters in the world, but
Luke Lokay, Coach Sensei Bill, and Xander Eddy in Mexico.
Governor Tom Wolf and the Eddy family.
PHOTO BY ADAM EDDY
he isn’t complacent. Every day he is improving. His work
ethic and positive attitude make him a role model for the
younger kids.”
“He never ceases to amaze me,” adds Xander’s father,
Adam. “The ability to learn and adapt so quickly is
unbelievably impressive for his age. For being only 10
years old, we can’t express how proud we are as parents.
We are so excited to see how he continues to develop as a
martial artist.”
Xander’s calendar is already filled with upcoming
plans, events and competitions. “The next international
competition is the Irish Open in March [2020] in Dublin,
Ireland, then our dojo has plans to visit Tokyo in the
summer for the Olympic Games,” says Viola. “Xander and
the team are looking for sponsors so the kids can represent
Pittsburgh and North Huntingdon worldwide. The team is
a 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity, so we hope the community
can rally behind and help get him overseas.” ■
NORWIN ❘ SUMMER 2019
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