Carleigh Jenkins

Carleigh Jenkins – Texas
Nomination by Andrea Jenkins
Photography by Stephen Pyle with 5th Monday
Issue 91 of Inspiring Teens Magazine
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​Nomination: Carleigh is inspiring because regardless of her chronic illness (POTS) she perseveres and competes in sport martial arts. Her invisible illness can be debilitating most days but she fights to continue to do what she loves and bring hope to others with her condition.

Photography by Stephen Pyle with 5th Monday 

What do you want us to know about POTS?
POTS stands for Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. It is a disorder of the automatic nervous system. Basically, my body’s ability to regulate heart rate and blood pressure is disrupted, which can cause me to pass out. Some of my daily symptoms are dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea, extreme fatigue, and shakiness, among many other things.

How has it affected you personally?
With having POTS, it makes completing the simplest tasks a challenge on bad days. There are many days where my body is too fatigued to physically get out of bed. Food really affects me too, for example-something that has too many carbs can make my body feel sluggish and awful for several days. Hard training sessions, emotions, and weather changes also contribute to my POTS. Any of these things can send me into a flare, which can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks.

Tell us about your martial arts career.
I started martial arts when I was 12, after watching the original karate kid movie. Shortly after I started, I went to watch a local tournament, and immediately knew this was what I wanted to do. I started competing locally, and the passion only grew from there. Everything changed for me when I met world champion Alex Mancillas at a tournament in my hometown. He encouraged me to chase my dreams and never give up on my goals. A few months later, I competed in my first out of state tournament. Now I compete nationally, traveling across the United States.

What do you love most about the sport?
There are so many things that I love about the sport. The first thing that comes to mind is the confidence it’s given me, and the many life lessons it’s taught me. Martial arts has shown me how important hard work and discipline is. I love how regardless of how bad I’m feeling with my POTS, martial arts continues to fuel me with motivation to keep pushing. I also love the camaraderie among the athletes. There’s truly nothing like having the support of teammates, friends, and coaches ringside-regardless if you’re competing against each other or not.

How does POTS affect you when participating in martial arts?
My POTS affects me a lot while training. There’s been times where I’ve had to end lessons early or pause a training session because my body just decided to shut down. Tournament days can also be pretty hard. The nerves before competing can send my POTS all over the place, causing me to feel out of my body and lightheaded before I even step on the mat. It’s really hard balancing this chronic illness with my sport, but it’s all worth it.

What is your training schedule like to succeed in martial arts?
My training schedule consists of several private lessons within a week with my coaches, training me in everything from competition forms to dojo curriculum. I also go to the gym 4 times a week, making sure I’m focusing on becoming stronger as well. Training forms for competition is important-but so is training the basics. I make sure to make time in my schedule to go over basic strikes, blocks, and kicks, as well as boxing.

What is your favorite accomplishment in martial arts?
My favorite accomplishment would have to be winning the Mini Warrior Cup at this year’s AKA Warrior Cup held in January. This was a goal I have had on my vision board for as long as I can remember. I was in the hospital the night before I competed with a kidney infection, and there was a part of me that didn’t know if this goal would be reachable. But I held onto faith and prayed that God would give me the strength to push through. Winning the cup was such a special moment for me, I’ll always cherish it.

What do you wish others knew about martial arts?
I wish others knew how incredible martial arts really is, and how much hard work each athlete puts into being the best they can be. Martial arts has truly changed my life, I would encourage anyone at any age to learn it. The sport and tournaments are amazing, but so is learning how to properly protect and defend yourself in a bad situation.

What inspiring things about you does your nomination not cover? 
Since being diagnosed and speaking openly on social media about my chronic illness, I have had several people come up to me and tell me how I’ve helped them come to terms with being diagnosed with their illness. They’ve shared with me that since they have seen what I go through and struggle with, they don’t feel so alone in their fight, and they’re more motivated to keep pushing and not give up on their dreams.

What would you most like to talk about in your interview? 
I would most like to talk about how martial arts and my chronic illness have both shaped me into who I am today. Martial arts has given me motivation and determination when I was struggling to even get out of bed. My chronic illness, although it is often seen as a negative thing, has honestly helped me appreciate the little things in life and every good moment is a blessing. I also love videography, it has given me an outlet and a way to express myself and my feelings when I can’t put it into words. I love the freedom and creativity that comes along with bringing stories to life.



What do you feel passionate about or could talk about forever? 
I am so passionate about martial arts. Even when it felt like everything was being taken away from me once I got diagnosed with my chronic illness, karate has always been there to remind me to keep pushing and to not give up on the dreams and goals that I have in the sport. I could talk about martial arts forever, it’s my absolute favorite thing.

How did you find your photographer? What was your experience like? What did you love most?
I found my photographer through the sport martial arts circuit. He is very talented and is always capturing memorable and special moments at tournaments, as well as awesome action shots! I always look forward to seeing his work at the end of every event!

Why do you want to be in Inspiring Teens Magazine?
I would love to be in Inspiring Teens Magazine because it is one of my biggest goals in life to be able to spread awareness for chronic illnesses and share my story. I could only hope to be an inspiration for someone else going through the same thing as me, and I know how important it is for someone struggling to see representation of another person going through something similar. I want others to know they are never alone, and their fight is worth fighting. 

What is a favorite memory you have with the person who nominated you?
My favorite memory with my mom is traveling to tournaments together. We drive all over the United States for sport martial arts events, and I enjoy it every time. We always find a way to make the long car rides fun and exciting. She sacrifices so much to be able to make my dreams come true, I wouldn’t be able to do any of this without her.

If you win a scholarship, what will you do with the money? 
If I win a scholarship, I would use the money to invest in my future. One of my biggest dreams and goals is to pursue a career in stunt work. It is not an easy or cheap goal, but one that requires a lot of hard work, dedication, and expenses. I won’t let anything stop me from achieving my dream-not even my chronic illness. It would be such a blessing to win a scholarship. This would not only help me, but my mom as well. She has put so much money into helping me reach my goals.

What is your ideal dream job if it were offered to you today?
My ideal dream job is definitely to be a stunt performer. I’ve had a passion for stunts ever since I first got into martial arts. One thing I absolutely love is watching the choreography in different fight scenes and movies. I can spend hours upon hours watching different videos of different stunt performers, seeing how they move and how intricate fight choreography is. I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else in the future. 


Is there anyone you'd like to thank for helping you to get where you are today?
 First and foremost, I’d like to thank my coach, Salef Celiz. He’s always encouraged me and pushed me to be my best. Working with him has opened my eyes to a whole new world of martial arts, and made me love the sport even more. I’d also like to thank Christina Korman. She’s been coaching me for two years now, I’m not sure where I would be without her. Both Salef and Christina have continually trained me to reach my fullest potential. They’ve believed in me so much that I finally started to believe in myself.
 
What is up next for you that you are super excited about?
I’m very excited for my debut to the black belt division, which will be happening very soon.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to be where you are today?
Hard work and dedication gets you very far, don’t ever give up.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years/what are your plans?
I would love to move out to California to start pursing stunts.

Who do you find inspiring?
This is a tough question, I find many people inspiring. I would definitely say my coach-Salef Celiz, Sensei Sharkey, Micah Karns, Jewelianna Ramos Ortiz, and so many others.

Look for Carleigh in issue 91 of Inspiring Teens Magazine!
*Interviews are not edited after received from our inspiring teens - what you read is who they genuinely are!
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click here for more information on issue 1

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