Only 21 years old, Lopez, who competes in the bantamweight division, has accomplished a great deal. At the 2001 World Championships, Lopez earned a silver medal in his weightclass. He followed that up with a gold medal at the 2002 Dutch Open.

Lopez plans on competing at the elite level for the next ten years, taking him to the 2012 Olympic Games, but he plans on taking it one step at a time. Currently he is training at the Elite Taekwondo Center in Houston, Texas, with 2000 Olympic gold medal winner Steven Lopez. Focused, motivated and determined, Peter Lopez is training hard for upcoming tournaments, with a main goal of making the 2004 Olympic team.

Q1: How did you get involved in taekwondo and what has kept you in the sport for so long?

PETER LOPEZ: My father was head coach for the National Peruvian team in the early 1980's so taekwondo was always around my family. When I was younger my parents kind of pushed me to get involved in the sport. As I grew up I chose to become more involved and pretty much dedicate my life to taekwondo. I started competing and enjoyed watching the sport in the Olympics. I began to have goals, my main goal being to make it to the Olympics.

Q2: How do you prepare for competition?

PETER LOPEZ: Before a competition I always listen to hip-hop music. Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg really get me pumped up. The morning of a tournament I also eat a lot of carbs. Pancakes, breads and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches really keep me energized. After a competition I try to relax by listening to slower music. Anything like salsa and meringue. I also eat something to raise my glucose like a Snickers or a Twix.

Q3: You just recently celebrated your twenty-first birthday. Did you do anything fun/special?

PETER LOPEZ: The Pan Am Championships in Ecuador are next week so I have been training really hard. I couldn't really party on my birthday so I just went out to eat, opened presents and had a little cake--the usual birthday thing. I'll be sure to party next week after the tournament though.

Q4: If you weren't mastering taekwondo, what other Olympic sport would you like to try?

PETER LOPEZ: I have always loved basketball. I played when I was younger and also throughout high school. I wanted to continue playing but my father made me chose between the two sports. He wanted me to try and be the best I could at one or the other.

Q5: What advice do you give someone who wants to get involved in Taekwondo?

PETER LOPEZ: I would first ask them if they want to get involved in the sport as a hobby or if they are interested in serious competition, like training for the Olympics. It is a great sport for both, but training for the Olympics definitely requires complete and total dedication. Taekwondo has helped me find goals and overall be a better person; it can do the same for others if they focus and put their mind to it.

Q6: If you could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

PETER LOPEZ: I would definitely choose Michael Jordan. Yes, he is a great athlete, but I really admire him more for his mental, rather than physical ability. I would love to just sit and talk with him.

Q7: If you could have one superpower, what would you choose and why?

PETER LOPEZ: I would love to be able to read people's minds. You can't always trust people and it would be great to know what they were really thinking. You would be able to know what people thought about you and different situations. Being able to experience another person's mentality would just be really interesting.

Q8: What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

PETER LOPEZ: When I'm not training I like to try and just relax. I train three to four times a week for about 8 hours a day, so it can get pretty tiring. I enjoy reading, watching T.V. and going to the movies or the mall. Nothing big. When trying to relax I just like to try and keep my mind off taekwondo.

Q9: What's your favorite movie, and why?

PETER LOPEZ: I would have to say Braveheart. I admire Mel Gibson's mental power and the fighter within him in the movie. He fights for what was taken away from him, the main point of the movie being revenge. Watching those kind of movies before a competition really pump me up too.

Q10: What does the future hold for you?

PETER LOPEZ: Although my overall main goal is to make the 2004 Olympic team and compete in Athens, right now I am competing in a lot of different competitions and have to stay focused on those. I try and concentrate on one tournament at a time, striving to better myself in every way I can.