Student of the Month

Our student of the month for July is… Caitlin Clarke!  Caitlin has been training in our Muay Thai kickboxing program for about 2.5 years.  As a Notre Dame alum, she is doing her alma mater proud.

Caitlin originally decided to start training in the martial arts because she was inspired by Rocky movies, The Karate Kid, and Million Dollar Baby.  She was also involved in college with the Fighting Leprechauns (Notre Dame’s boxing program for women).  Caitlin is a very strong supporter of Notre Dame.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen her come to class in something other than a Notre Dame t-shirt!

Outside of punching bags, pads, and people- Caitlin enjoys her work as a teacher at an all-girls middle school in Hartford (Grace Academy), playing with dogs, running, and reading.  Caitlin shared that the martial arts have helped her strengthen her focus, increase her stamina, and they have helped her with her mental discipline.  She noted that, overall, her training is empowering.  It strengthens the entire body and tests muscles she didn’t even know she had.  She says that the training requires physical and mental conditioning, along with 100% focus.  With this, she notes that you can make big changes in your body and stamina really quickly.

Caitlin feels that her training in kickboxing also helps with her other activities (running, biking, coaching soccer, basketball, and cycling, to name a few) because it has improved her overall strength and fitness.  She likes how the training forces her to concentrate on the details of how each part of her body is working together for a purpose.

We are absolutely thankful that Caitlin has chosen to train with us.  She is a top notch student and a wonderful person.  Keep up the great work!