Having an empty nest — her three sons grown — led Zeynep Rice to compete in taekwondo.

GUILDERLAND — Athletes from Guilderland’s Pil Sung Taekwondo earned 16 medals at the 2017 Junior Olympic Games sponsored by the Amateur Athletic Union.

The AAU Junior Olympic Games is the largest amateur multi-sport event in the United States; 2017 marked the 51st AAU Junior Olympic Games.

Michelle Stafford and Austin Wolfgang made their respective Guilderland martial-arts schools proud at the AAU USA national taekwondo tournament in Florida this month.

Nine-year-old William Cleveland ended the school-bus bullying that had been tormenting his sister because the bullies knew of his expertise in taekwondo; he used his confidence but no force.

Six of the nine Guilderland martial artists that competed in Chicago at the USA Taekwondo Nationals are related to one of the other students in some way. Guilderland Martial Arts has turned Taekwondo practice into a family reunion.