I was first introduced to the RCA team in 2010, I was looking to find something that could fill the void left from the team sports I had played in high school. Growing up, I tried new things and, in turn, I ended up playing pretty much every sport. When I started boxing, it was different. I had endless questions, I wanted to understand every angle, I wanted to know when, why, and how everything worked. I was more excited to learn, to compete, than other sports before.
When it comes to sports, I get it or I don’t at all; for me, boxing wasn't like that, it was gradual. The first time Coach Troy sent me what we were going to work on in class that night, he sent me a simple 2-3-2 catch/counter combination and, at that time, my mind was blown. Immediately I had questions for him, though he wouldn't always have an answer right away, I could tell he was listening, that he actually cared. Over that year I grew immensely as a fighter and as a person. I came into Troy’s classes wanting to be stronger, wanting to be tougher and not only did I achieve those things, but I also became smarter. Before training under Coach Troy, I thought boxing was about learning how to hit someone, now I know not getting hit is what matters.
Since I started MMA and boxing, I've tried pretty much every gym in the PNW while still maintaining my home gym at RCA. I began to see how truly unique and hands on Troy’s style of coaching is -- the endless inspirational or philosophical quotes, the advanced mittwork and the knowledge behind it, and the fact that you can see how much he loves the team. Since day one, Coach Troy and the RCA team have made me feel welcome. I’m proud to be a part of this family and I’m excited to get back at it, to compete, and to represent the people that mean so much to me.
“The hero and the coward both feel the same thing, but the hero uses his fear, projects it onto his opponent, while the coward runs. It’s the same thing, fear, but it’s what you do with it that matters.”