Comments/Life Story:
IT'S BEEN ALONG TIME SINCE I'VE SEEN MOST OF YOU. IT'S BEEN AN INTERESTING JOURNEY TO SAY THE LEAST. THE LAST TIME THAT I SEEN MOST OF YOU WAS AT THE TEN YEAR REUNION, AND THAT WAS A GREAT TIME. MY LIFE HAS CHANGED DRASTICALLY SINCE THEN. I HAVE TWO BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN, OLIVIA, 15 AND VINCENT, 13. I COULD'NT BE MORE PROUD OF THEM. WITH EVERYTHING THAT KIDS FACE IN TODAYS SOCIETY, I'VE BEEN BLESSED. BETH AND I HAVE BEEN DIVORCED SINCE 1999 AND I AM CURRENTLY SINGLE. I WORKED AT CHRYSLER FOR ALMOST 15 YEARS BEFORE TAKING THE BUYOUT IN 2006. SINCE THEN I'VE BEEN WORKING AS A CONTRACT MANAGER. I'M IN LAFAYETTE NOW BUILDING A DOLLAR TREE STORE. I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE MARTIAL ARTS FOR ALMOST 25 YEARS NOW. I'M LOOKING TO START A SCHOOL HERE IN LAFAYETTE. I FOUGHT FOR THE U.S. KARATE TEAM IN 1997 AT THE WORLD GAMES AND WON A GOLD MEDAL IN THE HEAVYWEIGHT FIGHTING DIVISION. IN DECEMBER OF THAT YEAR, I FOUGHT IN THE KUMITE IN BUDAPEST, HUNGARY, WINNING THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP. I RETIRED FROM COMPETETION IN 1998, BUT CONTINUED TO COACH AND TEACH. I WAS INDUCTED INTO THE MARTIAL ARTS HALL OF FAME IN ATLANTIC CITY IN 2002. RECENTLY I BECAME AN ORDAINED MINISTER. IT'S A DREAM OF MINE TO ESTABLISH A MENTORS ORGANIZATION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. I ALSO HOPE TO START AN ADDICTIONS FACILITY. THERE IS SUCH A TREMENDOUS NEED FOR THIS. I MYSELF AM IN RECOVERY AND HAVE PERSONALLY SEEN THE EFFECTS OF THIS DISEASE. IT DEVISTATED MY LIFE. TODAY LIFE IS GREAT. IT'S BEEN ALMOST SIX YEARS AND I'VE GRADUALLY REBUILT MY LIFE. RECENTLY I ATTENDED THE 1983 CLASS REUNION WITH HOLLY MARTIN. WE HAD A GREAT TIME. I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING EVERYONE THIS YEAR AND PRAY THAT ALL OF YOU ARE DOING WELL.
