Time to be Thankful

I looked out the window the plane…all covered in snow. I walked out of the plane…my body still aches from taking all his punches. Welcome to Toronto the Captain says to me as I exited the plane...I’m feeling the winter chill again. Wish I could spend more time in Florida but I’m home now...back to my family and friends. What an adventure…what an epic battle it was. As happy as I am with the victory, I feel for my opponent. I don’t lose often…in fact I’m one of those lucky ones that barely lose…but I know the feeling of losing…the loss must be crushing for him. Just as that thought surfaced my mind…I reached for my phone and text messaged him, “If one dream should fall and break into a thousand pieces, never be afraid to pick one of those pieces up and start again.” As I reflect on the last few months, I learned that every time you win, it diminishes the fear a little bit. You never really cancel the fear of losing; you just have to keep challenging it. Outside the ring, I learned that sometimes there comes a stage in life where going for it is more important than winning or losing. Back to living a normal…or semi-normal life. This ends a chapter in my life. A new chapter will start….a new goal….when I return to school in January…not anything special or different from the average student though. Until the ring beckons again…or until the calling to return to the deserts…but until then…I’ll be cherishing a normal life…

Sometimes all I want is the win...the glory all for myself. I fail to look at people beside and behind me supporting me the whole way...but actually they are the ones that make it a reality. The people that helped me out has been just as dedicated to me, as dedicated as I am to the sport. Chris my trainer since the beginning has devoted his last ten years into forging me to become world class champion material. Sometimes I think he’s really hard on. I also have my manager …he looks after my finances of each match, making sure the venue runs smoothly, etc…making sure I’m getting the benefit of the doubt financially on each match I compete. Then there’s my strength conditioning coach who always barks at me to push harder to push me to the limits. Sometimes I hate his guts but its all for my good in the end I understand. My nutritionist helps me make the weight limit and ensures that I’m eating foods for peak performance. But sometimes I don’t listen to her expertise and think she’s annoying for dictating what I eat like my mom when I was a kid. But she actually cares about me more than just a client…she’s a friend that’s been rooting for me the whole way. This team I have must be God sent…amazing people they are. When I think about how the hell I got here…the dreams I conspired and the people that worked tirelessly and endless to make it happen were these people….and of course my friends…been ever so faithful to me despite the fact that I neglect them at times to train and do my duties…they understand. When I take a lot of pain in training and in the ring, I think of it as I’m taking the pain for all the people that I love and care for, so they don’t have to. That’s why I smile while I’m in pain cause I know it for a worthy cause. So when people ask me why I never seem to give up in hardships, trials and tribulation…why I have such determination…it’s all cause of you guys…There’s a saying “Show me your friends and I’ll tell you who you are.” I’m really nothing…I’m just the product of what you guys forged me into…and boy oh boy…you guys are really something…I’m grateful for that. As I was welcomed home by my friends at the airport we went out to eat and what a great night it was…many asked why this match meant so much to me and so much more than the other ones I competed other than the fact that this one drew more people to see it. To me, this was a recertification of my abilities…once I got the challenge for me to come over to Florida and compete, I told myself… I’m hanging up my gloves and calling it quits if I lose this one. I lost my chance to go to Beijing this summer to perform in front of my own people and for my country and if I blow this chance…I’m quitting. Winning meant everything to me...it meant that the last 11 years of hard work was spent on something worthwhile…the sense of accomplishment and most of all…it meant that we were step closer to being the best in the world. For Clifton this match was dedicated to his late mother. So for both of us…a lot was at stake.

Then there’s my dad…I don’t talk to him much…it hard talking to him because I’m not his favourite son and my whole life has been spent trying to get his approval…to make you proud…but did you know that you’re my hero??? You are everything I wish I could be. I remember in grade school the teacher asked us who our hero was and kids would say superman, batman, Michael Jordan, Bruce Lee…and I’d be the one that would say that my dad was my hero…and till this day…the answer never changed when asked the same question. I’m sorry I can’t always be the son you want me to be…I’m sorry for not living up to your expectations...I’m sorry I can’t be my brother and in your eyes he’ll always be superior and that’s a fact I’ve respected. But I never give you enough credit when I am here with all the glory, but you’re the one with the strength…the motivation and inspiration me to be better than what I thought I can be. Your smile makes all of us happy…but it often hides the pain…as Chinese tradition, fatherly figure assumes the role to be strong and doesn’t show emotion while mom being Hawaiian adopts that culture of being a soft loving mother. But thanks for everything dad…I finally understand the reason for what you put me through all these years…I know it won't be today..it won't be tomorrow...but I promise you one day I'll make you proud and you can hold your head up high and say that Kelton is your son...
Honestly from the deepest most sincere bottom of my heart…thank you all so much…I apologize for my mistakes at times…I admit sometimes I don’t know how to act.
The past year wasn’t great…it had its ups and downs. The highs, I thought I was on top of the world and the lows felt like I hit rock bottom. I want a good year coming up and we’ll all do and together we’ll make this year one to remember 
Happy New Year Everyone!!!