Check Out David Lee’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to David Lee.

David, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My journey on the CU Boulder Sport Taekwondo team started when I walked onto campus as a freshman many years ago. I never knew you could be surrounded by so many people but feel so lonely! Taekwondo was always a part of my life. Many people will tell you that Taekwondo taught them important values, helped them through difficult times, and saved them from a different path. 2,000 miles from home feeling isolated and lost, I naturally sought comfort in a familiar love.

Ironically, the team just wasn’t what I was looking for. The people were amazing, but the group was more of a social club than a sports team at that time. As I started to adjust to life on campus, I felt that I didn’t need Taekwondo anymore and quit the team 3 months in. Luckily, the story doesn’t end there. I had never quit anything before, and while sometimes walking away is the right decision, I realized I missed Taekwondo, and my love for it was not extinguished.

Although I played intramural sports, met dozens of new people, and even started a volunteering social club, I found myself always back in the mat room kicking the bags and wishing I could share my passion with others. So I returned to the team, determined to give it another go. I vowed to be more present, and if the team wasn’t providing something I needed, I held the power to lead, impact, and make a change. It was time to accept accountability and write my own story.

In three years, the team doubled in size, competed at 3 tournaments per year, and transformed into a legitimate sports team. Going into my senior year, I was the President of the team, training for Collegiate Nationals, and coaching part-time. The team nominated me for CU Club Sports – Sportsperson of the Year, and I was honored to win the award and represent the club.

The recognition served all the pioneers, trailblazers, and cornerstones that breathed life into the program and set the foundation for our success. Seemingly having fulfilled my journey, I was ready to graduate and ride off into the sunset. But during my final Collegiate Nationals, our head coach announced that he was retiring and wanted a couple of us to take over the program! Turns out, my journey was just beginning.

10 years later, we’ve grown in ways that I couldn’t have envisioned when I first met the team. CU Boulder was the host of the 2016 National Collegiate Championship, where we finished in the top 10. Our athletes are nationally ranked and have won individual national championships. Two athletes qualified for Collegiate Team USA this past year in 2022, bringing home a Silver Medal from the FISU World Collegiate Games in Merida, Mexico.

I was one of Team USA’s sparring coaches and we finished third in overall standings against the best collegiate teams in Pan America. We’ve grown from 10 members when I first met the team to 60 members and growing, with our eyes set on winning a team national championship and sending athletes to more world collegiate games in the future. It’s been quite the journey!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It was not a smooth road, hardly anything is! As I’ve mentioned, it took a lot of trailblazing and first-time leadership to transform the program. And in the early years, there were a lot of failures. Rocky roads require resilience. When we overcame those early years and achieved some success, a worldwide pandemic hit and halted everything. I thought COVID-19 was a sign that I’ve reached the end of my journey once again – do you notice a pattern?

Although the campus was shut down and activities were limited, there was still interest in the team. Initially, I planned on providing a program for the seniors who had their final year robbed from them. I opened up my home, built a modest garage gym, and invited my athletes to restore some level of normalcy. We could only allow 3 athletes at a time due to COVID, but suddenly, I was hosting 24 athletes a week through several daily sessions, some joining virtually through Zoom calls. Remember how I said Taekwondo helps people through difficult times?

When the restrictions were lifted and the campus opened up in the Fall of 2021, I knew I couldn’t stop coaching. There was still much work to do and people to inspire. That semester, we recruited 30 new people and had our most successful year in the program’s history (see above). But even though this recent success, our challenges continue through growing pains. Increasing membership naturally leads to more retention issues.

Trying new things and implementing new processes involves risk-taking and more chances of failure. Sustaining high performance requires not just athletic achievement, but team success and the development of great leaders. They’re great problems to have, and I’m so honored I get to share my passion and help the next generation of students who are stepping on campus for the first time, perhaps feeling a little lost like I once was.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Our Brand: The club is a sports team using Taekwondo as a leadership platform. Our mission is to enrich the collegiate experience through Taekwondo, providing a safe space for students to explore, grow, and excel as champions in their communities through leadership, passion, and the pursuit of championship lifestyles.

I think people get intimidated by the word “championship” because they associate it with “competition.” Undoubtedly, competition is one of the primary ways to fulfill the team’s mission. The lessons you learn by training and competing result in a championship. However, leadership and community are the most significant way to achieve a championship.

To pursue life as a champion is to pursue success, and the most meaningful way to succeed is to help other people succeed. One member may be on the path to competing at the World Collegiate Games, and another might be on a journey to overcome anxiety and self-confidence. Being part of a team means that both members will experience failure, success, and growth that binds them to a shared mission and shared values.

What makes them champions is how they support each other’s journeys, realizing they can achieve more through each other rather than through individual accomplishments. In almost all cases, the highest-performing athletes do not have the most skill. They are the ones who care deeply about others and put their teammates first. As a great runner once said, “100% of me is nothing compared to 1% of the whole team.”

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
This sport truly is for anyone and everyone, and it’s never too late to start. I believe that joining the team and starting the taekwondo journey in college is one of the most rewarding experiences available on our campus. Not only do you get to relieve stress through a fun sport, but there is a caring community that provides endless friendships, experiences, and discoveries.

One of my favorite mantras is that we don’t do things in life because we’re good at them or because they’re easy. We do them because they’re hard, challenging, and rewarding. The biggest mistake I see is that people only want to do things they’re “good at”, or need things to be perfect to progress. The students who get the most out of our program take on difficult challenges, prioritize progress over perfection, and develop a love for our community because of how rewarding and fun the journey is.

In turn, they inspire others and practice life lessons that set them up as champions in their communities. It’s what I take the most pride in as a coach, more than medals, trophies, or recognition, and I’m so grateful I can share this opportunity with the world!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cubouldertaekwondo/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cutaekwondo
• Other: linktr.ee/cutkd