Adversity That Would Cause Most to Crumble was Merely a Day in the Life of This Young Man

SANDY, Utah - Aug. 27, 2014 - PRLog -- Travis Gold started having “grand maul” type seizures from the time he was 9 years old. Since these seizures were non-epileptic and the cause could not be traced, no medication was able to help his problem. He would have at least three seizures per week, and at least one per week at school. In one instance Travis had a seizure at the top of a slide and fell helplessly form the top of the slide to the ground below. Fortunately, Travis was not seriously injured from the fall, but his seizures were having a dramatic negative impact on the quality of his life.

Travis also had to overcome seeing his father dealing with his own health issues that kept him bed-ridden for several years with an autoimmune disorder. Watching his father having seizures caused Travis considerable stress, frustration and fear. All of these emotions caused Travis to become fearful of going to school, playing with friends and doing most things average people take for granted.

Over the years Travis’ family worked hard to get him counseling, medication and tried a variety of activities like soccer and flag football to help with the problem but nothing worked. If you know Travis then you know he is a very driven and determined person who has a desire to set personal goals and achieve. Travis’ parents will also tell you that he is very honest and has a lot of integrity and perseverance. Travis had expressed an interest in martial arts for a long time but his parents were justifiably concerned that it may not be a good fit for him. However, after talking with a friend who was involved in a martial arts program they decided to give martial arts a try.

Travis was given an introductory martial arts program as a Christmas present and he was excited to get involved. With martial arts, what Travis and his family found was so much more than they could have ever imagined and it dramatically impacted Travis’ life for the positive. In Tae Kwon Do Travis was able to gain and experience a feeling of self fulfillment, personal achievement and stress reduction like he has never known. The best part is that Travis has not had a single seizure since joining Tae Kwon Do.

Travis’ mother and father (who is back to good health) say that, “Travis is doing great and we are very proud of him.  He is now able to handle stress better because of the physical exercise, he has learned to communicate more effectively about what causes him stress and he has a lot more confidence than he has had in a long time.”

Travis’ parents have also found martial arts to be a great reward system for their son. The Gold family sets goals and the longer Travis goes “seizure free” the more activities and responsibilities he gets to take part in. This has seriously motivated Travis to take his training and progress seriously.

“Travis is a fine young man and we are very pleased that taking part in the martial arts has helped him achieve stress relief, inner peace and physical fitness. I have no doubt that he has the ability to one day become one of our black belts” stated Brett Lechtenberg, the owner of Personal Mastery Martial Arts in Sandy.

Just a few other thing Travis’s parents have noticed: He has a greater sense of pride and accomplishment, he listens to corrections and does not get upset, he is better at apologizing when he makes a mistake and he is more respectful to his parents and family.

If you see Travis or his family at the martial arts school or around town be sure to ask them how they are doing. This is a family that is sure to inspire everyone they meet.

For more information about martial arts in Sandy check out www.sandymartialarts.com and www.kidslovemartialartssandy.com