Erica Carroll

How old are you?
34

What is your rank?
Yellow

What is your occupation?
I am the owner of a landscape design and maintenance company.

Why do you practice?
For the strength, focus, skill, and community

How long have you been practicing?
4 months

What do you enjoy most about your practice so far?
The community, having new skills and practices to take off the mat and into my everyday life.

What are some of your other hobbies or interests?
Biking, relaxing in hammocks, hanging out with my dog

What is something people at Tae Kwon Do probably don’t know about you?
After meeting my husband 11 years ago, I moved into his mother’s garage with him so we could save money to travel.  We had only known each other a few months and had only spent about 4 weeks of that time together in person.

What is your favorite Tae Kwon Do moment?
Every time we as a class share in a laugh about anything – these are my favorite moments.

Is there anything else you would like to add?
Practicing here has given me more space in my life and I have less anxiety in general and am more confident off the mat.

Matthew Abrams

How old are you?
39

What is your rank?
Yellow

What is your occupation?
Executive Director and Founder of Mycelium

Why do you practice?
To be grounded, to support others, to build authentic relationships, to move my mind and my body.

How long have you been practicing?
4 months

What do you enjoy most about your practice so far?
The people

What are some of your other hobbies or interests?
Poetry, time in nature, traveling, photography.

What is something people at Tae Kwon Do probably don’t know about you?
I spent 9 months traveling cross country in a van.

What is your favorite Tae Kwon Do moment?
When Master Morris cried telling the story about how an elderly woman noticed the vitality in his eyes and actually shared that with him, even though they were complete strangers.

Is there anything else you would like to add?
I love being here.