This was the case for Delta freshman Addison Childers, who began her karate journey at age nine. But her introduction to karate was different from your typical beginning. That beginning helped her discover a passion that has led her across the globe to become a world champion.
Childers was diagnosed with a strong case of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) at nine years old. Her parents, Michael and Maria Childers, were recommended by a doctor that they find a way to aid in the “disciplining” of their daughter's mind.
“She could hardly sit down,” Michael said. “So, her doctor recommended finding gymnastics or karate or something that really helps calm [her] down and helps with that development.”
Once Childers stepped into her first dojo, it wasn’t exactly smooth sailing; there were some barriers to overcome with her ADHD.
“The first place I went to was super strict,” Childers said. “I would always be playing with my hands, and they would constantly tell me to stand still … I got used to it, so my ADHD started to not affect my karate as much.”
Despite opportunities to pursue many other sports at Delta, karate was always something that piqued Childers’ interest. It was something she was naturally better at than other sports, even though it was a talent she discovered unconventionally.
Regardless of the challenges karate presented for Childers, it was an opportunity that she relished. She seemed to know right away that it was what she wanted to pursue.
“The very first time I went I enjoyed it a lot, so I decided to stay with it,” Childers said. “As time went on, I started to have more fun with it and started to get really good, so I started going to compete.”
Once she started competing, Childers felt she needed to move dojos to maximize her potential, which landed her at her current dojo in Marion, Indiana, where she trains at Shirokai Martial Arts with her sensei, Andy White.
When Childers first set foot in Whites’ dojo, the Childers family made it known to him that challenges oftentimes came with her ADHD.
“I was made aware pretty early on,” White said. “Everyone that comes in the door has their own little quirks, and you just can’t always run it like a military camp. It was a little trying early on to keep her attention, but sometimes, you just had to let her have her moment, get her curiosity done and then reel her back in.”
However, those “quirks” seemed to work in her favor throughout training.
“She has some rough moments when she’s learning new things,” White said. “But she’s really able to hyper-focus on those things, and she just excels. I think that’s been a blessing to her in a way.”
With the patience of her sensei and her ability to fixate while training, Childers began to take things to the next level. As time progressed, Childers began to realize how great of a talent she had for her newfound passion.
“When I started focusing more on winning was when I started to push myself more,” Childers said. “I started to realize I really had a talent for it, so I wanted to push myself.”
When she saw her potential, Childers began to challenge herself by partaking in high-level competitions. As she continued to grow in the sport, Childers looked to compete internationally.
In 2022, at the age of 12, Michael and Maria took their daughter to the Team USA tryouts in Evansville, Indiana. Childers went on to win the competition, thus beginning her international competition pathway.
In her first competition, she competed in the world championships in Wales, United Kingdom.
“I was really scared,” Childers said. “I felt like I was going to mess up with how nervous I was. I had some friends there though who I’d competed against before, so talking with them helped make me more comfortable.”
Despite the nerves of her first world championships, Childers medaled in all four of her events, bringing home one gold, a silver and two bronze — securing the first of many world championship medals.
There was no going back after that competition. She had made up her mind that this was what she wanted to do with her life. Continuing to train and compete at such a high level was not something White expected from her when she first came to his dojo.
“With her ADHD, honestly, I thought she would just fade away from it,” White said. “But she got so intrigued with it — and everybody else that works with her, including her coaches overseas — they would like to have her as their student also.”
Following the 2022 World Championships, Childers would continue to perform on the world stage the following year in Calgary, Canada. However, this time would be different.
Childers received news from her doctor that she had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. A lymph node on her neck was found to have cancerous cells.
Even with the shocking news, the Childers family wanted to keep things under wraps.
“She handled it very maturely,” Michael said. “Nobody knew about it unless we talked about it, and she kept competing just like she normally would.”
Maintaining her competition posed a threat to the lymph node on her neck. Childers needed to be extra cautious and had a scare in a match in Saint Louis, Missouri, where she had been kicked in her neck and it began to swell.
But even cancer couldn’t prevent Childers from competing in the sport she loved. She continued to travel to Calgary to compete in the world championships, yet again earning a gold medal.
Following the world championships, Childers returned home in early October of 2023 and received surgery to remove the lymph node from her neck.
“You would’ve never known there was an issue,” Michael said. “She never even batted an eye, and she’s been cancer-free ever since her surgery and has just continued to keep at her craft.”
Childers just completed her fourth world championships in the Czech Republic, helping Team USA by earning four gold medals and two bronze. She now has racked up 10 world championship medals.
“It’s pride to know that your daughter’s got her name out there,” Michael said. “Some younger girls from all over the country will come running up to her at competitions, and there’s so much pride in what she’s put into it and that she’s helping the younger generation.”
That persistence and unwavering dedication to karate has led Childers to where she is now: a multiple-time world champion.
There have been many sacrifices along the way for the Childers family, but to them, it’s been worth it.
“Financially is where it is challenging the most,” Michael said. “We do a few fundraisers through the school, but most of it’s out of pocket. The [World Martial Arts Committee is] always there to help support us as well — no matter the team member.”
Childers does not take the support and sacrifices from her parents lightly and knows it comes with hardships.
“It means a lot to me,” she said. “They’re the ones who have to help me get ready and raise money for it all, and we have to spend a lot on those trips.”
Though the road has been long and had its fair share of bumps along the way, Childers has overcome the trials and persevered through unconventional circumstances. Even though the world champion has a plethora of trophies and medals, she has not accomplished what she’s set out to do just yet.
“I want to go to the Olympics,” Childers said.
Having gone through more than most, very few things can hold her back from that ultimate goal.
Having now accomplished far more than your typical fourteen-year-old, Childers could be satisfied. But even though her quiet and reserved nature may not show it, her eyes are fixed on the 2028 Olympic Games.
Contact David Moore with comments at david.moore@bsu.edu or on X @gingninj63
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