Thanks for helping me chase a dream

With enough passion, hard work, and in my case, a little luck, opportunities come about which just can’t be turned down—I’m writing this because today is my last day with Havre Daily News.

While I have enjoyed getting the chance to diversify my work beyond sports with Havre Daily, I also freelance because sports are what I love.

Now, I will get to mesh my childhood passions. I’m moving on to cover the incredibly unconventional worlds of professional wrestling and combat sports.

Aug. 10 I accepted a fully remote 40 hour per week freelancing role with Trident Digital Media, Ltd out of England. Trident operates WrestleTalk.com and the WrestleTalk YouTube channel I have followed for about eight years.

WrestleTalk originally started as a talk show on the U.K.’s Challenging TV, lasting seven seasons. Past guests included Hulk Hogan, Sting, Bret Hart, Chris Jericho, Edge, Mick Foley, Rob Van Dam, and more.

Now it is a Youtube channel averaging more than 10 million views every month, a website (my main focus) and I’m seeking chances to accomplish another goal of being in international hardcopy print by writing for WrestleTalk’s magazine.

I have been a fan of pro wrestling for most of my life, 20 of nearly 27 years. As I kid with cerebral palsy, I wanted to be world heavyweight champion because I saw pro wrestler, cancer survivor and amputee Zach Gowen on WWE’s “Smackdown” in 2003.

I was laughed at, but most of the time I ignored it. I would usually stare out a window, thinking of packing my bags and hitting the road, thinking of a world of my bright lights, rock music and of course, steel chairs.

In middle school, I couldn’t be bothered to pay attention in my eighth grade science class — taught by someone I consider an adoptive uncle figure, no less — because I was reading the book, “The Rise and Fall of ECW” and drawing pictures of packed arenas I’ll now get to work in.

In college, I took classes that allowed me to write about pro wrestling, combat sports, comic books and another huge passion of mine, punk rock.

When I wasn’t in class, I was traveling between Illinois and St. Louis as a commentator for my local independent promotion, Dynamo Pro Wrestling, to serve as a commentator, crossing another item off my bucket list.

I also produced punk and sports-related radio ads. I did what many parents would suggest and got my degrees, in radio broadcasting and journalism, but I did it my way.

Whatever you love is never a waste of time.

Because I am a freelancer, I will also continue my work covering mixed martial arts and boxing, which I love as equally as the performance art of pro wrestling. I’ve had the privilege of interviewing world champions, an Olympian, and UFC Hall of Fame member Dan Severn.

I can only hope these great experiences will continue.

Due to travel for work and a desire to be closer to friends and family, I will be moving back to the St. Louis area in late September or October. I will also continue serving in a media role for the U.S. national kickboxing team, which is based in the midwest.

The World Association of Kickboxing Organizations, WAKO, announced July 20 during the Olympics that kickboxing had received full recognition from the International Olympic Committee.

There is still work to be done before the sport is in the Olympic Games itself, but I feel a bright future awaits.

If you’ve gotten to know me during my time on the Hi-Line, keep your eyes open and you might see me on press row at a UFC event. I may also be covering pro wrestling’s “new kid on the block”, All Elite Wrestling on Wednesday and Friday nights on TNT.

Thank you to HDN for helping me prove I can cover a wide range of topics from sports to education, public health, local government, music, human interest stories and everything in between.

Thank you again for letting me chase a dream.