When I grow up I wanna be Chuck Norris?

I came across this little bit in my school stuff from last year and thought I'd share. Enjoy! 

           Do me a favor and think back to when you were a little kid.  What did you want to be when you grew up? Maybe it was a professional athlete? A veteraniarian? A firefighter? Or even rockstar? I had more of a unique answer. I wanted to be Chuck Norris’s sidekick. It’s true, I was a pretty funny kid. At the age of five my mom decided if I was going to succeed in being a sidekick I would need some lesssons.  That’s how I ended up at Missouri Taekwondo Centers and met Lisa Ledbetter, a woman who has changed and impacted not only my life but the lives of countless others. This story is all about this amazing woman who has done so much to help others in our neighborhood and community strive to build a more peaceful world. 

My TKD family: Mr. Ledbetter, Mr. Roberts, Me, Mrs. Ledbetter

            According to Lisa, she found her home at Missouri Taekwondo Centers fifteen years ago.  Six months prior to that, a man tried to break into her home by smashing in her bedroom window in the middle of the night.  The incident left her terrified and in search of confidence.   Now her and her husband own the school and teach hundreds of individuals not only how to kick and punch but something much more valuable.  Her husband Zach says their curriculum is based on the six tenets of Taekwondo, tenets that are repeated at the beginning of every class.  Courtesy, Integrity, Perserverance, Self Control, Indomitable Spirit and Victory.  These tenets have inspired students to do great things throughout the years.  When asked Lisa replied that one of her proudest moments was when an austistic boy she coached won the national sparring championship. This boy would have never allowed on most high school teams but at her school anyone is welcome.

Mrs. Ledbetter, Me, Mr. Roberts with Schyler on of our amazing students

Schyler (one of our other austistic students) breaking a board! 

   

            Outside of classes, Lisa not only is a mother and wife, but a volunteer also. She takes time to speak at local schools, teaching the values of respect and discipline. She teaches abused women the art of self defense and also to have confidence again. She also organizes performances at adult care centers for the entertainment of the elderly and handicapped. 

Mrs. Ledbetter teaching at a women's camp

In conclusion, over the last 12 years I have watched Lisa influence hundreds of lives. And if you asked me today what I want to be when I grow up…Chuck Norris won’t be anywhere in the answer.  But after years of training with Lisa, she has helped me to realize not what I want to be when I grow up, but who I want to be when I grow up.  I want to be someone that helps build a more peaceful world for all of those around me. And if everyone took this approach in life, this world would be a much better and safer place for all. Thank you. 

Mrs. Ledbetter and Me along with many other strong women after camp