RYAN GOES TO TKD NATIONALS

Eat. Sleep. TKD. Repeat.

Nothing is given. You have to earn it. You have to put in the work. I love the adrenaline, the excitement and the rush I get when I step on the mats.

My name is Ryan Durette. I will be 15 in March.

My Taekwondo journey started at the age of 6.

My parents signed me up bc they wanted focus and discipline for me. I was a very fidgety kid, couldn’t sit still, and wasn't the best student back then. There were challenges along the way, times when I wanted to quit. I got lazy and didn’t want to go to class or even think about Taekwondo. But with guidance and encouragement from some great role models, I stuck with it. TKD is a part of me now.

I was taught that if you want something, you have to get it by your own means. Put in the work. Make it happen. I wanted to be just as good as my peers and my seniors, if not better. This motivation and drive led me to try out and land a spot on Team Evolution! I’ve won and lost my share of matches. All are lessons to be learned from to get me closer to my goals.

It took me awhile, but I finally achieved my goal of becoming a Black Belt. I am also an instructor at the dojang. I teach little tigers and youth classes 3 days a week. Being a role model and having the responsibility gives me a lot of pride. Knowing that I am helping kids develop and reach their potential makes me a better person.

Being on the leadership and the competition team has increased my self confidence and focus. I am training hard to improve my skills and to turn the flame into a fire and strive to become a world ranked athlete!

This year I will be competing at NATIONALS (July 3-July 9). I am looking forward to the challenges ahead and can’t wait!

Your support will be appreciated. It will help with additional training, competition, coaching and travel fees.