By Mr. Mike Adams, Championship Martial Arts – Table Rock Lake
I’ve always loved stories about people who overcome obstacles. They remind me that success isn’t about what happens when everything goes right — it’s about what you do when everything goes wrong.
I especially enjoy seeing those stories in our own community — whether it’s a student-of-the-month post, a local athlete reaching a new milestone, or someone just giving their best effort. And when that story involves one of our Taekwondo students, it makes me proud.
But when that story involves your daughter — it hits on a whole different level.
A Day Built for Excuses
Last Friday, my daughter Jenna’s day began at 5:00 AM. That’s already a long day by anyone’s standards. But it didn’t take long for things to start piling up.
➡️ She woke up with a swollen jaw from a cracked tooth.
➡️ Sat on a crowded bus for four hours on the way to Regionals.
➡️ Had a full cup of Sprite spilled on her — soaked and sticky from head to toe.
➡️ All while mentally preparing for the biggest race of the season.
Let’s be real — most people would have been done. It would’ve been easy to say, “Not today.”
We got a call from her on that bus — frustrated, embarrassed, defeated. She wanted to come home. Anywhere but that sticky seat.
And honestly, who could blame her? Sitting in cold, sticky clothes, miles from home, before one of the biggest races of your life? That’s enough to test anyone’s limits.
But this is where the story changes.
The Reset
When life throws chaos your way, sometimes all you can do is stop, take a breath, and start your day over. That’s something I say often — not just to my students, but to myself.
So that’s what we told her:
👉 “Take a breath. Reset. Start your day over.”
It’s easier said than done — but she did it anyway.
Her uniform eventually dried. She got a nap on the bus. When they stopped for lunch, she managed to eat half her sandwich (the other half didn’t survive the Sprite incident 😆). Slowly, the frustration started to fade.
Somewhere between that nap and that half-sandwich, she made a decision — that she wasn’t going to let a bad morning ruin her day. She was going to do what she came to do: RUN.
The Race That Defined Her
From the first step to the last, Jenna ran an incredible race.
✅ Mile 1 — strong pace
✅ Mile 2 — on fire, projected to smash her PR
✅ Final stretch — determination in her eyes, every stride stronger than the last
And she did it.
She crossed that finish line with a new lifetime Personal Record — nearly a full minute faster than she had ever run before. And with that finish, she punched her ticket to Nationals. 🇺🇸
I don’t know if Taekwondo made her jaw hurt less… or made Sprite dry faster 😆
But I do know this:
Taekwondo helped shape who she is — a Black Belt and a Champion in Life.
Because what she showed that day wasn’t just athletic ability. It was Focus. Discipline. Respect. Confidence.
Those qualities don’t magically appear in the middle of a hard moment — they’re built over time, through training, challenge, and mindset.
Excuses or Strength — You Choose
That day could have gone either way. Jenna could have chosen to let her circumstances define her, and no one would have judged her for it.
But instead, she chose to define herself.
That’s the difference between giving in and growing stronger. Every one of us faces days where quitting seems reasonable — but strength isn’t about what you feel in that moment, it’s about what you choose to do anyway.
You can have an excuse, or you can have progress — but you can’t have both.
Building Champions in Life
At Championship Martial Arts – Table Rock Lake, we teach more than punches and kicks. We teach perseverance. We teach courage. We teach what it means to get back up — even when you’re sticky, tired, frustrated, or sore.
We call it Building Champions in Life.
Because real champions aren’t just defined by medals or scores. They’re defined by the moments when they decide to be stronger than their excuses.
Way to go, Jenna. Your CMA family is proud of you — and I couldn’t be more proud. ❤️
Join us at Championship Martial Arts – Table Rock Lake, where we help students build Focus, Discipline, Respect and Confidence — one class, one challenge, and one victory at a time.
📍16585 MO-13 Suite E, Branson West, MO 65737
📞 417-239-9378 | 🌐 www.cmatablerocklake.com