taraje.com

Name: Taraje Williams-Murray
Weight Category: 60kg
Date of Birth: November 9, 1984
Place of Birth: Bronx, N.Y.
Hometown/Current Residence: Bronx, N.Y.
Clubs: New York Athletic Club / Spartak Sports Club / USA Judo National Team FORCE
Coach: Jimmy Pedro and Arkadiy Aronov
Education: B.S. Computer Science Minor in Business with Honors, Long Island University

• 2009 National Championships Most Inspirational Athlete Award
• 2005 National Championships Best Technique Award
• 2003 National Championship Outstanding Athlete Award

Olympic Teams: 2004 and 2008
World Championship Teams: 2007, 2005 (Ninth), 2002 (Junior)
Pan American Games Team: 2007 (Seventh)

Pan American Championship Teams: 2004 and 2008 (Bronze)

Twenty-four-year-old Taraje took up judo in September of 1992, at 8-years-old, after his cousin started the sport. The fourth of six children, he says at one time they all did judo. His sisters, Kaure and Kinanda, both medaled at the senior nationals, but Taraje was the only one to stick with the sport.

From the very beginning Williams-Murray was in love with judo – as a kid, he says the worst punishment his parents could give was be not allowing him to go to practice. Watching the men’s lightweight division at the Senior Nationals when he was just 12, Williams-Murray told those around him that he was going to take over that weight class.

An accomplished junior level competitor and member of the 2002 U.S. Junior World Championship team, Williams-Murray officially moved up to the senior level in 2003. He quickly took over the top spot at 60 kilograms. Since that time, he’s been the dominant player in the division, winning the 2003 Rendez Vous Canada, 2004 & 2007 New York Open, 2003-2005 & 2007 National Championships, 2004 Olympic Trials and 2005 & 2007 World Trials.

Achieving success early is nothing new to Williams-Murray. At 15 he began attending Long Island University. After taking some time off to make the Olympic team, he graduated May 2007, with a B.S. in Computer Science, Minor in Business with Honors. Taraje wasted no time getting back to his studies, as he began Boston University Metropolitan College’s M.S. Program in Banking and Financial Services Management immediately after his graduation.

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Recent Career Highlights
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2009:

• Silver – USA Judo National Championships (-81kg)

2008:

• Gold – USA Judo Olympic Trials
• Gold – Olympic Zone Cup
• Bronze – Pan American Championships
• Silver – USA Judo National Championships
• Silver – New York Open

2007:

• Gold – Tre Torri International B-Level Tournament
• Gold – USA Judo Pan Am Games and World Team Trials
• Gold – USA Judo Nationals
• Gold – NYAC New York Open

2006:

• Silver – Liberty
  Bell Championships (66kg)
• Bronze – National Championships (66kg)
• Bronze – U.S. Open (66kg)
• Fifth – Rendez Vous Canada (66kg)

2005:

• Gold – National Championships
• Gold – World Team Trials
• Silver – U.S. Open
• Bronze – NYAC New York Open
• Ninth – World Championships

2004:

• Gold – Titan Games ( Atlanta,
  GA)
• Gold – NYAC New York Open
• Gold – National Championships
• Bronze – Benito Juarez Championships

2003:

• Gold – Am-Can Judo Challenge
• Gold – National Championships
• Gold – Rendez Vous Canada
• Silver – NYAC New York Open