Brainerd resident Ryan Rogers holds up his silver medal after placing second at the Panamerican Karate Federation Championship. (Contributed Photo)After being the first American with autism to compete internationally in karate in 2016, Brainerd resident Ryan Rogers broke new ground in May when he won silver at the Panamerican Karate Federation Championships in Curacao, becoming the first American with autism to medal at an international competition.
Rogers trains at Green’s Karate in Hixson under Sensei Corey Green, who has made a name for his school by training students with disabilities.
Following Rogers’ sixth-place performance at the Karate World Championships last year, Rogers said he and Green sat down and focused on learning brand-new kata, or karate techniques, for the PKF Championships.
“What he performed in Curacao is competitive enough to win the World Championship,” said Green.
The training for Rogers’ new kata was difficult, but made a clear difference.