This week we went live with Jeffrey Wall, founder of Golden Age Karate. Jeffrey is a 15-year-old from Dayton Ohio and has been practicing karate since he was six years old. He now spends time teaching senior citizens, karate. We were thrilled to interview him after we saw his story on CNN. This is what he had to say:
Tell us about Golden Age Karate:
Golden Age Karate is a non-profit organization that Jeffrey started over a year ago to teach senior citizens karate. It was also an opportunity to help keep senior citizens active during COVID-19. Jeffrey has a black belt and new that he had the necessary skills to take on this initiative.
Why did you decide to work with senior citizens?
He decided to work with senior citizens because he felt that they needed some extra love and attention. He realized that they don’t always have many visitors and so he decided to step in and get them moving. He loves working with them and seeing how excited they get to participate in his class.
How has COVID-19 impacted your capability to meet with senior citizens?
Due to COVID-19, Jeffrey has not been able to meet with his students as often. So he has gone virtual. Jeffrey has started recording his lessons and posting them on YouTube to share with nursing homes. In addition, he has picked up his engagement on Instagram to post updates and lessons on IGTV.
What are some next steps for Golden Age Karate?
Now that he has started posting videos on YouTube and Instagram, Jeffrey would love to reach senior citizens all around the world. He has already reached seniors in Australia so he wants this to grow even bigger. This is an amazing thing that people could do everywhere and he hopes to encourage others to give senior citizens some love and time.
What is something that you’ve learned through your journey thus far since you’ve launched Golden Age Karate?
Jeffrey has learned that staying disciplined and having self-control over the things that you wish to accomplish is key in achieving success. Knowing that you’re giving it your best at the end of the day keeps you moving forward.
We thank Jeffrey for taking the time to talk to us about his amazing organization. If you’d like to check out his page make sure to visit his Instagram @GoldenAgeKarate. It’s amazing to see teens making a difference in their community and giving back. Way to go, Jeffrey!