Rhett Boatman
Overcoming Adversity
Several years ago, adversity was a term
Rhett Boatman had never experienced.
An accomplished athlete at the age of nine, he had already received two
MVP awards in community-wide soccer, and had garnered multiple state and
national championship titles in amateur karate and kung fu competitions.
Rhett was a model student, identified as gifted and talented by Texas
schools. Then, something changed.
Slowly, Rhett’s grades began to drop, and
his physical ability showed a mild decrease in performance. Rhett began
to confuse or miss assignments given by his classroom teachers.
Rhett’s parents quickly assessed that his attitude was GREAT, but
something was not adding up.
Finally, it was discovered. Rhett was found
to have a genetic deterioration of the eardrum that was causing an
immediate and intense deficit in his ability to hear. Rhett couldn’t
hear his teachers, and his physical equilibrium or balance was impaired.
The doctor’s prognosis was for mounds of work, namely a barrage of
surgery with the hopes of moderate success. Through counseling with his
doctor and parent’s, Rhett decided to start the series of surgeries in
hopes of regaining his full hearing capacity.
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Over the last two years Rhett has had nine operations, including
experimentation with cell regeneration technology. Several months ago Rhett
was apprised of great success. After a closing procedure on the drum,
his hearing test showed an improvement to approximately 96 %. Then the
bad news came.
In July of 2003, at what was supposed to be
Rhett’s final appointment with the specialist, it was observed that
Rhett’s right drum had ruptured and collapsed.
The prognosis is to start all over with a new surgeon, and rebuild
the drum and entire canal with muscle tissue that they propose to remove
from the back of Rhett’s neck. Needless to say, he is very
disappointed; however, he always has a positive attitude. At the end of
the last meeting with the surgeon, the surgeon sighed and stated,
"Well, it looks like we took two steps forward and one step
back". To which Rhett replied, "It looks like we took One
Step Forward!"
Rhett attributes his positive attitude and even-tempered constitution
to his longstanding martial art training. Rhett began his martial art
career in April of 1995. Rhett received his first black belt in sport
karate on April 22, 2000 from World Champion Kyokushin-kai Master
Johnnie Murphy. Rhett earned his second shodan in traditional karate on
October 15, 2000 under Goshin Grand Master Matthew Durant. Rhett
realized his true passion for the Chinese arts while training under
Shaolin Temple Monks Shi De Shan & Shi Xing Hao. Rhett most recently
trained under Madame Wang Ju Rong. Rhett is presently studying Chen
Taiji, which he attributes to his exceptional health and virility during
his various recoveries from surgery.
This year Rhett started seventh grade, and although he is burdened
with the pressure of the upcoming surgery, and the impairments that his
illness brings, he decided to try out for junior high football. This
year Rhett will be leading the junior high colts as their starting
quarterback. Rhett’s parents couldn’t be prouder.
To see more of Rhett’s story, check out his web page at bmawushu.net
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