I have found another one of my deep passions. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

There are many things in this world that make me feel good: my girlfriend, being with my friends and family, going on long walks or hikes, building a nice fire and sitting around it feeling its warmth, traveling, joking around- basically you get the idea. I could continue to write down dozens of other things that make me feel good, but I'll spare you the time. Over the past couple of years, I have had one focus that especially makes me feel great, martial arts. I feel the main reason why I love kickboxing and jiu-jitsu is that I feel empowered. This is so important to me and my physical, spiritual, and mental health because getting diabetes at a young age took ALL of that away from me.

When I got this disease, I lost all of my desire to continue competing. I had played every sport under the sun. For the most part, I think pre-diabetes I felt absolutely untouchable. I think having a healthy confidence and the feeling of invincibility is wonderful, but maybe only after you have experienced both ends of the spectrum. It makes being on the positive side of the spectrum much more sweet. Before diabetes, I felt I had everything; after diabetes, I felt I had nothing. I think everything since that time I was diagnosed has been a means to get back to the way I was as a kid; someone who had no fears.

Jiu-Jitsu gives me control. My mind and my body know this to be true whenever I get down on that mat and I am literally fighting for my life. You see, in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu you either tap, get snapped, or nap. Learning all of the techniques is a very humbling experience. When you are getting choked out and are about to lose consciousness, you can you feel every ounce of your existence slipping away in an instance. This fighting style has been a wonderful way for me to get my confidence back. When you master jiu- jitsu, you undoubtedly hold the upper hand in almost every fighting situation, including diabetes! Learning all of the techniques is a very humbling experience. When you are getting choked out and are about to lose consciousness, you can you feel every ounce of your existence slipping away in an instance. This fighting style has been a wonderful way for me to get my confidence back. When you master jiu- jitsu, you undoubtedly hold the upper hand in almost every fighting situation, including diabetes!

Wish me luck as I continue to train and prepare for my third tournament coming up in November. I promise to represent the diabetes fighting world proudly!