Persistence, Purpose, and the Path from Wrestling Champion to CFE Music

Persistence: in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.

Somewhere along the road, I got the idea in my head that I wanted to be a world champion in wrestling. It started out as a small dream, but it was essential, because as a young boy, my reality wasn't great. Growing up in South Florida near Miami in the 80s and 90s meant living through the beginning of the crack cocaine epidemic. I saw firsthand how drugs could alter a person, even a father, causing them to prioritize their habit over everything—food, water, and family.

From Homelessness to National Wrestling Gold

Life didn't start that way. Before we moved to South Florida, my dad was a mechanic at Kennedy Space Center, and we lived in a nice neighborhood. Then, an urgent move two hours south revealed a warrant for my dad’s arrest. We ended up at my great-grandmother's, a brief respite that turned into a terrifying brush with tragedy when family conflict led to an attempt to burn our house down with us inside. Blessed to escape alive, we became homeless. My dad was gone, lost to his addiction, and soon arrested. It was just my mom and four kids.

Life was rough. I became angry, and fighting became my default. By middle school, suspensions and arrests led everyone to assume I was bound for the same path as my father. But in seventh grade, a math teacher introduced me to wrestling. He said, "You like to fight, don't you? Let's channel that." Even though I was good enough to beat high schoolers early on, I didn't take it seriously, and the cycle of trouble continued.

It wasn't until high school, failing classes and barely attending, that I decided I needed something better. I remembered wrestling. That first year, I got the tar beat out of me. I was stronger, but clueless. I was losing to guys who, in my mind, had never known struggle—who had beds, electricity, and dads in the stands. I had none of that, and I was losing. It was a turning point. I made up my mind: I wasn’t losing anymore. I wanted to be the best in the world.

The training was insane. Up at 4:00 am to run four miles, running during lunch, then JV practice, Varsity practice, and finally training with adults aiming for the Olympics. The persistence paid off: my senior year, I won a state championship, earning a college scholarship. I went on to become an All-American three times and a National Champion.

The Next Fight: Education, Community, and CFE Music

After college, the world championship dream still burned. I took a job teaching to pay for international competition. I won medals, qualified for the World Team Trials, and was on the cusp of everything I’d fought for. Then, in the semi-finals against the number one seed, I injured my neck. I lost the match, and with it, the world team slot. The dream was over.

But stepping down from that mat was not the end. The head coach at the U.S. Olympic Training Center flagged me down, offering me a place to train, coaches, and a sponsor. Wrestling took me all over the world, but at 29, I made the difficult decision to retire and focus on my career in Education.

For seven years, I taught and then moved into administration. As an administrator, I’ve been bitten, punched, and kicked. I’ve helped hundreds of kids, but I've also had to assist in a murder investigation and witnessed dozens of students meet their end due to gun violence. Now, I'm looking for a better way.

The Soundtrack to the Struggle: CFE Music

Every step of this journey—the pain, the perseverance, the hope, and the desire to build a better future—has a soundtrack. The story of persistence is ongoing, and my music, especially the track "Anime Life," is the sound of that fight.

This is more than music; it’s the foundation for my next mission. My goal is to build a life insurance business that, once established, will work to employ and mentor young people—kids like my students, for whom college might not be the right path. I aim to turn the lessons of persistence into pathways of opportunity.

Hear the Persistence. Hear the Purpose.

Stream the music that tells the story of CFE Music's journey today, including the new track "Anime Life."

LISTEN TO CFE MUSIC NOW

Keywords: CFE Music, Anime Life, Persistence Story, National Wrestling Champion, South Florida 80s 90s, crack epidemic, education administration, gun violence solution, entrepreneurship.