Canada won nine golds, 15 silvers and 17 bronze medals at the event for young athletes in Costa Rica.

"Our athletes, coaches, and staff encountered various conditions and external factors throughout the week and came up with notable results," said Jamie Dossantos, a member of Taekwondo Canada's high performance staff.

"Overall it was a great experience for the cadets at a Pan Am event, the juniors were tested on many elements at this tournament and coaches adapted well with poise."

A total of 67 athletes and 22 coaches helped Canada finish in overall second place in both the cadet female and male divisions. 

In the junior divisions, Canada finished third in both male and female divisions, behind the Pan American powerhouses United States and Mexico. 

Michelle Lee was one of Canada's medallists, winning two silvers and a bronze in poomsae competition. 

"My parents always remind me that even though I'm at the top now, I have to work twice as hard," she said. 

"This year I have trained much harder.

"I have changed my view on competition - when I competed at the Worlds, I was just happy that I made it to the Worlds, instead of actually setting my mind to the competition. 

"This mindset has changed in the Pan Ams."