Random Thoughts of Rodney

Every Ending is a New Beginning

2008-04-08T22:38:00.002-06:00

An update to cover the last two months…

I had an unlucky draw at USA Nationals; I faced Dorian Anthony from California who won the Police Athletic League Championship last year and beat me in the first round of USA Nationals. He ended up winning the entire tournament which brought my streak in National Tournaments to 0-5. It was the third time that I have faced someone in the first round that ended up fighting in the championship bout…talk about bad luck!

I didn’t want to end my boxing career with a loss so I competed in the Wyoming State Golden Gloves and won the state title for the 3rd consecutive year. I won’t be able to compete at Regionals or Nationals so it was a good time to bow out of amateur competition. I’m still going to coach and practice, but I think the time for me to move on has come.

One of the things I will be moving on to will be my career. I think it’s about time for me to get more serious and dedicate myself to what could and should be a very rewarding career. I hope I haven’t damaged my chances to be successful with all of my boxing, but time will tell. I have earned quite a few accolades in the past few months so hopefully that will help put me on the right track and get my career jump started. I’m excited about the opportunities and possibilities that lie ahead wish me luck and keep me in your prayers.

Armed Forces Championships

2008-02-10T14:48:00.000-07:00

I just got back from Camp Lejuene, North Carolina last night after attending the Armed Forces Championships. The competition started Monday night for the 132, 152, 138 (women's), 178, and 201+ lbs weight classes. The All-Air Force team and participants in all categories but the 201+ class and all four were victorious and moved onto the Championships. This included my third bout of the year which was against a guy from Navy. I put him down in the first 20 seconds but got over anxious and almost got put down myself. I ended up winning a decision, but it was much closer than it should've been.

Tuesday night the bouts continued for the other weight classes. We had participants in the 125, 141, 138 (women's), 165, and 201lbs weight classes. Unfortunately we were only able to get victories in the 141 and 138 weight classes and had two more people qualify for the Championship round. Losing the 125 lbs weight class was a shock as the guy that was in that weight class was the defending champ and went to the Olympic Trials last year.

Wednesday night was the "ice breaker "and dinner. The food was great, but I got food poisoning earlier in the day and wasn't able to fully enjoy the meal. After the ice breaker I went back to my room and assumed the fetal position as the food poisoning got worse. It was a horrible night and I went from the chills to a fever repeatedly through the night.

Thursday was the Championship round and had 5 members of the All-Air Force team boxing for the title of Armed Forces Champion. The night didn't start off as we had hoped as our 132 lbs champ lost a decision to the Marine Corps Champ. The disappointment continued as we lost our next three bouts earning only silver medals. I was our last hope as I entered the ring for the 178 lbs championship. I was going up against the All-Army Champion and a 2008 Olympic Trial participant. The bout started off well, but unfortunately I had a mental lapse at the end of the third round. This lapse proved to be the difference in the bout as I lost a 10-6 decision.
I'm now back in Wyoming working out and getting ready for the 2008 USA National Tournament in Colorado Springs. It's going to be the 8th-15th of March. The prelims will be at the Olympic Training center but the venue for the finals hasn't been set yet. I'll keep you all posted as I find out more info.

Please keep me in your prayers as I continue to train and strive towards earning a National Championship.

2008 AF Championships

2008-02-02T20:54:00.000-07:00

I got back from Texas last Monday, but I went straight out to the field so this is my first opportunity to update everyone on my latest adventures. I was down in Texas to help with the Air Force Boxing Championships. Originally I was planning on going down there to help coach and corner for some of the guys from my base. Unfortunately at the last minute the guys who were supposed to go were prevented from going due to manning issues at our base. I decided I would still go since I had the time already scheduled, plus my parents live down there so it would be nice to visit with them as well. I talked with the coach and he told me that I could work out with the team, and that he might even have a bout for me during the championships. I really wanted to work in the corners for some of the boxers so that I can get certified as a level 2 boxing coach, long story I can tell you the different levels later if you really want to know. Long story short…I ended up winning the Air Force Championship and now I’m going to the Armed Forces Championships at Camp Lejeune NC the 3-8 of February. I’m really excited, I think I have a good chance of winning the tournament and going to Azerbaijan for the International Military Championships in November. Don’t worry; there will be a blog about how I do in NC as soon as I get back!

A very long update

2008-01-28T22:52:00.000-07:00

I know it has been forever since I posted a blog, so here's the latest…

The divorce has been final for a while now and we are both moving on. I'm doing well, it still hurts from time to time, but that will all heal with time. I would like to thank all of you that have helped me through these trying times. Your support, friendship, thoughts and prayers have made this all bearable.

On a lighter note, I've been in contact with the AF Boxing coach and he wants me to come down and help out with the AF Championships. I'll be working in the corners and possibly boxing one of the nights. I'm really excited, but out of shape. The box-offs are the 18-19 of Jan so I have 2 and a half weeks to get back in shape and ready to go. I haven't boxed since the beginning of October so I have a lot of ring rust to shake off. My boxing career is still in limbo, as I'm weighing my desire to box with my hope for a productive AF career. Unfortunately, right now they seem mutually exclusive, but I'm hoping I can indulge my desire to box, while not jeopardizing my career. I know that seems like a common thread through most of my blogs, but unfortunately, I still haven't found the proper balance.

Finally, I wanted to talk about Christmas. This was probably one of the best holidays I've had in the recent past. My parents came up with my sister Sylvia and her kids Jasmine and Thomas. It was a great time spent with family and friends! Christmas Day, Sylvia and I cooked a huge dinner; I still have turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes and yams in my refrigerator. Not only did we have family, but some boxers from the base team and some of my close friends were able to make it and just help make the dinner a great experience. I would like to thank all of you who were able to make it for helping this to be a great Christmas!

To everyone who took time to read this, thank you, please keep me in your thoughts and prayers. I know God has a plan for my life, I just don't know what it is yet and I need to rely on him for strength and guidance.

A Great Weekend!

2007-09-10T23:14:00.000-06:00

WOW!!! This weekend was AWESOME. It started off on Saturday with a bout in Denver. Actually it started off on the wrong foot. I drove down to Denver, hoping to get matched up since I haven’t been in the ring since June when I lost at USA Nationals. I went down without a coach and forgot to bring competition gloves and gauze and tape to wrap my hands in case I did get matched. Honestly, I didn’t expect to get matched because the last two times I went down to this show, there wasn’t anyone for me. This time was different! There was a guy there that I could match up with, he just so happened to be the #8 ranked boxer at 178 lbs, Mike Montoya. I weighed in at 179.5 and he weighed in at 193.5…According to USA Boxing rules you can match up with someone up to 15lbs heavier than you (if you are over 178lbs), so we fit into that category. I wasn’t excited about boxing someone that has beaten me before and outweighed me by 14lbs. I decided since I had driven that far, I might as well get a bout of it, even if he has a lot of weight on me. I took the bout and then went out to get gauze and tape. I called Dave and asked him to meet me somewhere with some competition gloves so that I could compete, I had my 18 oz sparring gloves, but that wouldn’t cut it for an actual boxing show. Dave told me that his training had moved from 3 to 1:30 so he might be able to make it down and bring the gloves with him, but if not Cici could bring them. All this time, I was still without a coach, luckily I befriended a couple of guys from the local area who told me that they would work my corner if I didn’t have anyone, this was huge because I didn’t have anyone to work my corner at the time, so I would’ve been flying completely solo if it weren’t for them. A couple of friends from Cheyenne made it in time for my bout and brought me the gloves that I needed. I was also pleasantly surprised that an old friend was able to make it to the fight as well. I hadn’t seen her in 2 years until my friend's wedding last month, but when I told her I was boxing in Denver she came out to support me.

Now for the bout; Long story short ( I know too late already) He put me on the canvas in the first round with a lucky left hook, but I battled back to score the winning decision and build my confidence in the Amateur ranks. I haven’t been very lucky against boxers ranked in the top 10 over the past two years, I’m now 2-6 (one loss to Mike Montoya last year and two against Chris Downs the US Olympic representative), but I’m learning and I think I can put together a good run if I face any of the top boxers in the next year. I don’t know what my plans are anymore, but I know that I can hold my own.

Next I got my new furniture delivered Sunday morning. I moved all of her old stuff out and started making this house look like it belongs to me. I got a new couch and love seat along with a coffee table. I also got to bring back some of my old furniture that she had banished to the basement. It is nice to have MY stuff back in sight. She made me get rid of or move a lot of my stuff because she didn’t like it. Now MY house looks like I live in it and once again I have a say in what surrounds me on a daily basis. It feels good to be in control again!

The weekend ended with a great dinner at my place (I can be conceited about my own cooking can’t I?). I made Chicken Alfredo with some vegetables and French bread to go with it. There was great conversation and just a totally positive attitude. It was a great way to end a great weekend!

A New Direction

2007-09-04T12:50:00.000-06:00

I'm learning that life has many twists and turns, you can't try to control it because that would be an exercise in futility. The best thing to do is to step back and come up with a new plan of attack. That's what I'm trying to do now. I found out a couple of weeks ago that I would not be permitted to go to Hyderabad, India for the International Military Championships because of the potential Reduction In Force that may happen in the coming year. Because of the potential for me to get kicked out of the Air Force, my leadership feels that it would be better for me to stay in my current position and show that I am good at my job in order to keep it. I don’t understand why all of my accolades as a boxer can’t speak for me along with how well I do my job. I’ve been the number one light heavy weight boxer (178 lbs) in the Air Force for the past two years. I’ve won the Wyoming and Rocky Mountain Regional Golden Gloves Championships for the past two years and the only military person I’ve lost to is going to represent the US at the 2008 Olympics (Chris Downs from Army). I don’t see how these accomplishments, on top of the fact that I have done well at my job so far, can’t help me stay in the Air Force.

Anyway, my new plan is to try and win a National Championship, either Golden Gloves or USA Nationals, then try to get a spot on The Contender, or just turn pro. I’m going to start training twice as hard as I have in the past and hopefully put on 5-10 lbs of muscle to get the knockout power I would need to be a force in the professional boxing ranks. If you want to train with me, help me train or come watch me fight let me know. I’m hoping to get a bout this weekend 8 Sep in Denver.

WOW

2007-07-05T00:21:00.000-06:00

A lot has happened in the past month! I returned to Wyoming to get back to my normal work routine. I’ve gone back to coaching the base team and working out with the local boxing team and I’ve tried to put my house back together after months of neglect while I was off boxing in various tournaments.

It’s taken a lot of work to get over the disappointment of not making the Olympic team, not even making it to the Olympic Trials. I really thought I had a legitimate shot, but I came up way short! I have one more chance at competing internationally. The boxer that is supposed to represent the US Military at the International Military Championships could very well be the Olympic representative and that would open up the spot to the alternate. I should find out sometime in the next month if I’ll get to go. The tournament will be held in India which would be an awesome experience.

On a very personal note, my wife is doing better, she has healed physically, but I’m worried that it will be a while before she is fully recovered emotionally. I would appreciate your continued prayers on her behalf. If you would like more information you can contact me for a more in depth update.

End of the road?

2007-06-11T13:12:00.000-06:00

I have been trying to figure out what to do now that my hopes of making it to the 2008 Olympics have come to an end. Unfortunately, I lost a decision last Sunday in the USA Boxing National Championships, which were the final qualifiers for the Olympic Trials. Many have encouraged me to continue boxing and possibly turn pro, but I also have to think about my career if I want to continue in the Air Force. I will be doing a lot of praying and reflecting as this is quite a life changing decision. To all those that have helped me train, inspired me or just been there for me throughout this journey, THANK YOU!

Short Update

2007-05-17T03:37:00.000-06:00

A lot has gone on in the past few weeks. I got into San Antonio and started training with the AF team. I made the decision to drop to 165 lbs and I flew out to Germany to visit my wife, who was shot in Afghanistan. She is healing and will make a full recovery and return to her deployed position. Because of the sensitive nature of this information if you want to know more I ask that you contact me by e-mail or my cell phone if you want more information. I would just ask that you keep all of our servicemen and women as well as their families in your prayers.

Choke Artist?

2007-05-03T08:40:00.000-06:00

I made a valiant attempt, unfortunately I came up short at National Golden Gloves. I faced William Rosinsky from the New York Metro Golden Gloves team. It was a close fight, but I just didn't do enough to come away with the victory. I'm disappointed with myself because I feel like I'm just a step away from making a big splash in the amateur boxing world, but I keep coming up short. I have a decent record at 16-7, but against boxers ranked in the Top 10, according to last year's USA Boxing rankings, I'm 1-5, and 0-3 against boxers in the Top 5. This has me wondering if there is something wrong with me, that I can't step up my game when the opposition is in the top tier? Am I a choke artist that doesn't have what it takes to take on the top competition or that freezes up in a tough bout? I'm out to prove that none of these are correct, but it will take a great showing at USA Nationals to erase these thoughts. Until then I'm headed down to TX to train with the All-Air Force Team and get ready for USA Nationals. We should have a couple of bouts before Nationals to help us get ready. I'm excited about that because I hate sitting on a loss. I know it happens to everyone, but I prefer to have my last bout be a win, I guess that's just my competitive nature and probably more than that, me not being a graceful loser. (not that I'm one of those guys that throws a temper tantrum if I lose, I just don't take it very well and I'm not one to have a smile on my face after I go down in defeat).

USA Nationals will be my last opportunity to make it to the 2008 Olympic Trials. I will have to finish at least in the quarterfinals in order to make the cut. I am contemplating a move to the middleweight, 165 lbs, weight class in order to improve my chances of making the Trials and the Olympic Team. I'm waiting to hear from the AF Boxing Coach to let me know if that will be possible, or if I should stay at light heavyweight, 178 lbs. I'm currently at 174 so I would have to lose 9 lbs by June 2nd in order to make the next weight class. I'm not sure what my body fat percentage is right now, but I'm sure 165 will put me near the 3% mark, which I've been told is the minimum needed to be healthy. This will be something that I contemplate and pray about in the coming weeks to make sure I proceed in the right way. I ask that you will keep me in your thoughts and prayers as well.

2007 Rocky Mountain Golden Gloves Champion

2007-04-15T21:31:00.000-06:00

I just got back from Pocatello, Idaho and the Rocky Mountain Golden Gloves. It was a very eventful weekend. Wyoming brought 6 State Champs to the tournament to face off against the State Champions from Idaho, Montana, and Utah. The first night we had two of our six get eliminated from the tournament in close bouts, both of the losses were by 3-2 split decisions. Willie Padilla and I both made it through the first round and onto the championships. However, the championship night was even harder on the Wyoming boxers. At 119 lbs we lost a tough decision to a boxer from Utah. A few bouts later we lost a heartbreaker when our 152 lbs boxer was disqualified for improper use of Vaseline. Apparently the only area that Vaseline is allowed is on the eyebrows and on the cheek bones. In between the 3rd and 4th rounds Vaseline was applied to the boxer’s nose to stop the bleeding which resulted in the disqualification. The Wyoming boxer was ahead on all score cards at that time which added to the frustration. In the heavy weight division the Wyoming boxer was stopped when his left shoulder popped out of socket. I was the only boxer able to gain a victory on championship night. I will now go to the National Golden Gloves Tournament to (hopefully) bring the 178 lbs (Light Heavyweight) championship to Wyoming, along with a bid to the Olympic Trials. The winners of the National Golden Gloves Tournaments earn an automatic bid to the quarterfinals at USA Nationals and a spot at the Olympic Trials. This would be a great accomplishment, and I’ve started to increase my training to ensure I’m ready for the challenge! Please keep me in your prayers as I prepare for this tournament and the challenges that are ahead of me.

A Needed Update

2007-04-05T22:12:00.000-06:00

I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to post an update, but things have been hectic! I had a second bout against the guy from Montana a couple of weeks ago. It didn’t go as well as I had planned, but I still came away with a victory. The second bout proved that I’m not in the shape that I thought I was, so I’ve increased my cardio workouts to ensure that I’m ready for the next tournament I have coming up.
We had a boxing show at FE Warren last weekend. We had billed it as the “Western Air Force Boxing Show,” because we had planned on having boxers from multiple western AF bases attend, but when show time came we only had one boxer from outside of Warren participate. I think it was still a great show and I’ve heard nothing but compliments from those that attended, but I think a lot of people were disappointed that we didn’t have more bases participate. Luckily, we had the Cheyenne Boxing Club hold some sparring sessions to add some substance to the bout card. I’m really happy that we have such a good relationship with the downtown team; I hope we can continue to work together and increase community involvement with the boxing programs of Wyoming. Hopefully the base can get a much larger show together for sometime this year with more outside participation and the Cheyenne Boxing Club can participate in that as well.
I went down to Colorado Springs this week to see my family and workout with the Air Force Academy Boxing Team. They are preparing for the Collegiate National Tournament next weekend. Coach Weichers was gracious enough to allow me to spar with some of his boxers and he also invited some boxers from a local team. It was a great experience and I think it will help me get ready for Rocky Mountain Regional Golden Gloves, which will be held next weekend. I also had the opportunity to go to my old high school to speak with some of the JROTC classes they have and to catch up with some of my old teachers. It was great talking with the kids that will shape our future and with teachers that have shaped our present and will continue influencing the minds of tomorrow. It was also nice to run into old friends; two people that I went to school with are now teaching at our old high school. It is great to see peers give back to the community.
Hopefully it won’t take too long to post another update; I promise I’ll have one soon after my return from the Rocky Mountain Regional Golden Gloves tournament next weekend.

Competing in Wyoming

2007-03-18T21:18:00.000-06:00

Now that I'm back in Wyoming I'm trying to keep competing to keep my skills sharp and to get more experience. I had a bout on Saturday against a guy from Montana. The show was the USA Regional Qualifier for the WyMonDak Region, but since I've already qualified for the USA tournament I was able to go up against someone that I might potentially see at Nationals. I won on points, but I didn't feel as good as I thought I should have. I'm not quite in good shape at altitude and it showed at the end of my bout. I was tired and dropping my hands a lot, things that I shouldn't be doing with the amount of running and aerobic exercise I was doing in San Antonio. I'm going to blame it on the altitude for now, but I don't want to have any excuses as I get re-acclimated. I don't think the altitude should have much of an effect since I am in pretty good shape, I think I should be able to recover quickly during and in between rounds to prevent fatigue from setting in for a four round bout. I have another bout this weekend, so we will see how things go. I'm going to keep working out this week and hopefully my lungs and legs will adapt and be ready for the next bout.

Correction and Condolences

2007-03-13T15:57:00.000-06:00

I think I made an error in my previous post about the score of my bout in the Armed Forces Championship tournament. I went to the San Antonio Express website and they had the final score as 32-11. I would like to hope I wouldn't get outscored 18-2 in a single round, but if what I said in my last post is correct that's what would have happened to get such a lopsided final score. This doesn't discourage me, I still want to go to the 2008 Olympics and I'm going to be training even harder now because that is what it will take to earn a spot at the Olympic Trials and make the Olympic team.

On a sad note, I want to extend my condolences to the family of Brian Choi. Brian was on the 1996-1997 Mitchell High School Football team with me and just passed away from heart failure. It is quite a rude awakening to have someone that you grew up with pass away from something that seems like should only happen to someone much older. Please keep Brian and his family in your thoughts and prayers during this time of mourning.

Tough Pill To Swallow

2007-03-07T23:26:00.000-07:00

I lost a tough bout tonight in the Armed Forces Championships to Christopher Downs from Army. He is a great competitor and used his experience, quickness and height to win the fight. Everyone has told me to keep my head up and keep working because Downs is currently ranked #1 in the nation at 178 lbs, but I'm still disappointed that I lost this opportunity to make it to the 2008 Olympic Trials. He will now go into the finals on Friday night against the boxer from Navy with the winner earning an automatic bid to Olympic Trials.
I will be returning to my base on Sunday and I will have to sit down with my leadership to discuss whether or not to continue to pursue my dreams of making the Olympics. I have been warned that I may be doing irreparable damage to my Air Force career by taking time to box instead of gaining experience in my career field. This is something I will have to consider with my wife, my mentors and a lot of prayers.
I also have some more turmoil going on in my life, my grandfather was diagnosed with terminal cancer two weeks ago. It is not as advanced as my grandmother's, but they are not very hopeful that chemo and radiation will be able to cure it. When they took X-rays they found a mass about the size of a fist in his lungs, they are not sure how quickly it is growing at this time, but they think that the chemo and radiation can slow the growth to give him more time. This is my mother's father and she is having a hard time as she lost her mother only three months ago. Please keep my entire family in your prayers.

San Antonio Golden Gloves Champ

2007-03-01T09:17:00.000-07:00

The Air Force Boxing Coach had everyone on the team enter the San Antonio Regional Golden Gloves to help us gain more experience in preparation for the Armed Forces Championships that will take place 6-9 March. We were non-advancing participants, so even if we won the regional championship we would not continue on to Texas State Golden Gloves. I had two bouts in this tournament and was able to come away as the Regional Golden Gloves Champ.

Wednesday night I had a tough draw, Sir Smith from Ann Wolfe's Boxing Gym. He was a tough opponent that kept coming. He had moved up a weight class from 165lbs and told me after the bout he wasn't in "Boxing Shape." I think if he gets back into shape and moves back to 165 he will be a very tough boxer to beat!

Saturday night I was in the Championships and won by RSC (the amateur equivalent of a KO) at 1:20 in the first round.

As I said before we were in the tournament to gain experience and not to advance to higher levels of competition. I'm hoping that I will be able to participate in another regional golden gloves tournament in order to advance and hopefully go on to Nationals to earn a spot at the 2008 Olympic Trials.

Up next are the Armed Forces Championships. If I can win that tournament I won't have to worry about Golden Gloves because the winner in each weight class gets an automatic seed in the top 8 at USA Nationals in June as well as a spot at the Olympic Trials this fall.

2007 Air Force Light Heavy Weight Champ

2007-02-18T18:20:00.000-07:00

The Air Force Box-Offs were this weekend, I had two bouts and won both of them to stay the All-Air Force Light Heavy Weight Champ (178 Lbs). The first night I fought the defending Middle Weight Champ (165 Lbs) and won by decision after the bout lasted all four rounds (picture to left). Saturday night I faced a newcomer to the AF team who has over 40 fights in his amateur career. It was a great bout, I’m told, I haven’t watched the tape yet. We had sparred a lot so we spent the early part of the bout trying to get each other to make the mistakes we have noticed during our sparring sessions. Eventually, we started boxing and adjusting to the fact that we'd learned from earlier sparring and didn't want to make the same mistakes. The bout went all four rounds and I won by decision (picture below and right).

The Air Force Team will now compete in the San Antonio Regional Golden Gloves Tournament (20-24 Feb) to help us get ready for the Armed Forces Championships (6-10 Mar). The winners of the Armed Forces Championships will get automatic bids to the 2008 Olympic Trials to be held this fall in Colorado Springs. Being able to represent the US at the international level would be an amazing accomplishment and an awesome opportunity. I’m looking forward to continuing my training and hopefully earning a spot at the ’08 Olympic Trials.

After being awarded the gold medal at the 2006 AF Box-offs

Arrived In San Antonio

2007-02-06T07:28:00.000-07:00

I made it to San Antonio last Thursday to work with the Air Force Boxing Team and hopefully earn a spot on the 2007 All-Air Force Roster. The camp has gone well so far, I think I came down in pretty good shape, but I've still been really sore from the workouts. Even though I was working out 2-3 times a day in Wyoming, I wasn't matching the intensity of the workouts that we're going through right now. It's amazing how much harder you work when the guy that you're competing against is working out alongside you. I really think this is the best way for me to prepare for the upcoming tournaments and hopefully earn a spot at the '08 Olympic Trials. The Air Force Box-Offs will be next week 16-17 Feb in San Antonio, I'll be sure to post the results.

RIP Sylvia Robinson

2007-01-20T15:37:00.000-07:00

I know it's been almost a month since my last blog. Things have been really busy! My grandmother passed away shortly after my last blog, which has been very hard to get over. I know that she is in a better place now, I just have a hard time with the fact that she's not around and I can't pick up the phone and call her whenever I want to. One of my friends from Cheyenne said that I'm handling everything very well, but I feel like I'm not really handling it at all. I don't know if any of this makes sense, but I'm trying to use this blog as a way to help me deal with the fact that my grandmother is no longer here.
I hadn't been as close to my grandmother recently as I had in the past, but we still talked frequently, at least once every two weeks if not every week. While I was in Africa she sent over two packages full of homemade cookies. She was planning on sending some more even though I wasn't there, but she wasn't able to because of her declining health. I'm very lucky that I had such a caring woman in my life to help me through all of the different trials and tribulations that I have faced so far in my life. I miss her dearly and I hope she has found comfort and peace.

It's Been Pretty Busy

2006-12-21T11:07:00.000-07:00

I’m finally re-qualified to do my job in the AF, it took 2 months to get retrained and finish up all of my qualification requirements, but I finally did it. It has taken a lot of time studying and going through classes so I guess I’ll use that as my excuse for not posting more updates lately.

Another thing that has kept me really busy is my grandmother. My mom has taken a leave of absence from work and spent the last two months by her side as she continues living with cancer. Unfortunately, it seems that the cancer has progressed to the point that my grandmother may only have days left. She rarely has the energy to form complete sentences and her abilities to walk and feed herself have been gone for almost a month. I’ve been around death before, but this is the first time that I have ever seen someone slowly deteriorate right in front of my eyes. It has been a struggle for the entire family; I just hope and pray that my grandmother will not be in pain in the last days of her life.

On the boxing front, I am finally down to 178 pounds…actually, I’m still at 180, but I can get down to 178 whenever I need to, so I’m going to call it good. I got approval to attend the Air Force Boxing Camp next year which will help my chances of doing well at the USA National tournament next summer. I won’t get to attend the entire camp (it is almost 5 months long) but I will get to attend the first 6 weeks which will include the Air Force Box-offs and the Armed Services Championship. Hopefully, I can win the Air Force title again and move up from number 2 to number 1 at the Armed Services Championship.

Finally, I just want to say Merry Christmas to all and for those of you that don’t celebrate Christmas, Happy Holidays. I hope I’ll be able to make more updates on a regular basis to keep everyone updated.

Quick Update

2006-11-27T11:47:00.000-07:00

I've been pretty busy lately getting ready for Thanksgiving and trying to stay in shape. I got down to 184 before turkey day, but I'm back up to the upper 180s...I don't want to scare anyone with how easily I gain weight. Nothing really to talk about on the boxing front, I haven't had a bout since I lost the decision down in Colorado Springs, but I've been working out 5-6 times a week trying to get my wind back. I ran as much as I could in Africa, but the altitude difference is still killing me. Hopefully, I'll get back into shape soon and be ready to take on some competition either next month or at the beginning of the new year.

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving and will have a good Christmas wherever they might spend it.

Disappointed

2006-11-06T21:39:00.000-07:00

I finally got a bout this weekend in Colorado Springs and I dropped a disappointing decision. I feel like I should have one the bout, but I don't have my timing and my conditioning back to the point that they should be at. I was completely gassed by the fourth round, something that usually never happens. I just don't feel comfortable in the ring, something that I never thought I would say. I'm trying to put things into perspective, I was pretty upset with my performance and even questioning whether or not I have what it takes to make a legitimate run towards the Olympic Trials and hopefully the Olympics. I have come to the conclusion that I have to work harder and spar more to get myself back to the point I was at before I went to Africa. I think with some hard work and determination I can get to that point before the turn of the year.

On a much more solemn note, my grandmother's condition has worsened and she is having more and more "bad days." This is really hard because of how close my family is. I'm not only sad because I'm losing my grandmother but it is hard to see the pain my mother is going through watching her mother gallantly fight a losing battle. All that I can hope for now is that the LORD takes her before she feels too much pain.

Struggling

2006-10-24T14:12:00.000-06:00

I just got back from spending the weekend with my grandmother in Phoenix, it was somewhat difficult, but yet still rewarding. The four days I had with her is the most time we've spent together since I was in elementary school. It was hard to hear her talking about her funeral arrangements and the way her body has been deteriorating over the past few months. Her appetite is decreasing which causes her to be more and more fatigued, which then causes her appetite to decrease more. It is hard to see her losing so much weight and looking so frail. Please continue to keep her and the rest of my family in your thoughts and prayers. Here is a picture of some of my family down in Az out to eat at a restaraunt inside of Harrah's Casino. My grandmother is sitting to my left (viewer's right)

On the boxing front I’m frustrated because I haven’t been able to compete since I’ve been back. I know I’ve only been back in the states for a month, but I have only sparred once and I tried to get matched up in a show in Denver, but it got cancelled because they could only make 3 bouts out of the 30 people that showed up for the event. I also just found out that the qualification process for the Olympic Trials has changed. Instead of taking the winners of different tournaments they are now taking the top 8 from the USA Boxing National Tournament. I’m currently trying to make sure I can get to that tournament by qualifying in other local tournaments as well as the National Golden Gloves Tournament, which I will have to qualify for and win in order to get an automatic bid to USA Nationals...It’s a little confusing but http://www.usaboxing.org/ spells out the process if you’re interested in the reading.

Other than that, life is going well, hopefully my next update will have some good news about…anything…

The Whirlwind

2006-10-10T16:40:00.000-06:00

I just returned from spending a week with my parents in San Antonio. It was a much needed break, but my life has changed dramatically since my trip.

While visiting with my parents, I found out that my grandmother has a very aggressive form of cancer. While I was in Africa they told me that the doctors had found some sort of spot on her liver. After about 6 weeks of tests and scans they have determined that the cancer spread from her lungs to several spots in her body with the liver growth becoming the largest and fastest growing. My grandmother has decided that she does not want to go through Chemo and Radiation therapies because they will more than likely only extend her life 2-3 months, very hard news to digest! For those of you that I worked with in Africa this is the Grandma that sent the home made cookies. For any of you that are religious and reading this I would appreciate your prayers on her behalf, not necessarily for a recovery, that would be a very welcomed divine intervention, but rather that she not feel any pain.

The Air Force Boxing Camp has been moved from November to February, and I don't think that I will be able to participate any longer. I have to finish my military education and I'm also taking courses for my Master's in January so I think that will take up the majority of my time. I'm still hoping to qualify for the Olympic Trials through other various tournaments, but it will be much harder this way...But if you know me, you know I don't like doing things the easy way :-).

The title of this BLOG may have been a little too dramatic, but it seems like these two things came out of nowhere and have shaken me up a bit.

I Made It Home

2006-09-25T07:49:00.000-06:00

After 45 hours of travel, I have finally made it back to my house in Cheyenne. It was great to take a shower with water pressure and not have to worry about time limits on how long I can run the water.

Morgan made a great dinner for me last night. We had manicotti, she doctored up the recipe and put some chicken in along with the usual cheeses, it was delicious! We sat around and talked, caught up, even though we talked almost daily while I was gone. She made a lot of changes to the house, bought some new furniture and redecorated a room, everything looks great.

I'm excited to get back into boxing, but I don't know if I'm going to jump right back into it. I had a message from my coach from a couple of weeks back asking if I was back yet. I'm going to give them a call and try to make it to practice once or twice this week, but I'm going to focus on trying to get settled in and probably workout on my own some. The Police Athletic League (PAL) Championships are next week, but with all the airplane food, I ballooned up to 192 so I would have to lose 14 pounds to compete at my normal weight class, and I just don't think I can do that and still be in condition to box. I'm a little bummed that I'm going to miss the first Olympic Qualifier of the year, but I will have to make sure I am in the best shape and focused for the other 4 that I will be competing in. I’ve been reading a few books on boxing and I recently read a book about Rocky Marciano. I had no idea how intense his training was. I’m going to try and take his approach to my bid for the Olympics. I think if I have the same determination going into each tournament and each bout I will be successful.

To everyone still in DJ, keep working hard, it’s a great mission and we are helping to make not only Africa, but the entire world a better place.