Student Spotlight: Five Rounds In The Ring

Before the sounds of Sarama, before the noise of the crowd and the voices of the commentators, 17 year old Zee H. carefully wraps his hands and puts on his gloves, a bright red that matches the stripe running down the sides of his shorts. He knows he’s put in the hours – conditioning, sparring, and bag work – but can’t help the nerves. Despite them, he loves everything that comes with competing, and knows he’s ready for whatever may happen the moment the first bell dings. With the adrenaline of competition and a team steady in his corner, Zee touches his gloves together, steps forward in the ring, and begins the fight.

Zee’s been training in Muay Thai, or Thai boxing, since he was 14 years old. Spurred by the pandemic when he and a friend would watch UFC on television, Zee joined Rocklin’s UFC Gym under Coach Ezra Regan to try the sport himself. Although he’ll be the first to admit that he wasn’t the best at it in the beginning, he’ll also proudly say that he’s loved Muay Thai since day one.

“[I] always loved it, even when I wasn’t so good, it was always fun to show up and sweat,” says Zee. “It kept me busy and out of trouble.”

The sport quickly went from an observational pastime to a true passion for Zee. The skills he’d only seen on television – jabs and hooks, knee strikes and front kicks – he was now doing himself, and his daily life began to take form around the sport.

“Daily training starts with a plethora of stretches right before we take off for a three mile run. After the run is completed I jump rope for 8-10 minutes. After jump rope I will clinch with a partner for 10-15 minutes, then I will do five rounds of heavy bag work,” explains Zee. “After that, me and another Thai boxer will proceed with offense/defense drills, sparring, or holding Thai pads for one another depending on the day of the week or what my coach has in order for the team.”

“Just Doing What I Need to Do”

Zee enrolled in Visions’ Independent Study Academy two years ago, wanting to work at his own pace and in the comfort of his own home. A student in our Credit Recovery Program, Zee has been finding academic success through individualized support from his teachers, guidance from his counselor, and an education tailored to his specific needs.

“[I have a] good relationship with both my teacher and counselor. They are nice, friendly people,” Zee shares. “I think the Credit Recovery Program is quite helpful, it has helped me with lots of work I’d struggle with in [traditional] public school.”

“Zee has been an absolute pleasure to work with this semester. He is focused and principled in both his school work and training schedule,” shares his Credentialed Teacher, Rachel Morphy. “His work ethic in the gym clearly lends itself to other aspects of his life, especially in the way that he always completes his schoolwork on time and with great thoughtfulness.”

“In my experience working…with Zee, he has demonstrated himself to be an incredibly resilient young man who has shown remarkable strength and determination throughout his journey,” adds his Counselor, Rija Gorkhali.

Coming to Visions has not only helped Zee academically, but has also freed up time for him to focus on other things, like finding a job and focusing on Muay Thai. Whether it’s the flexible learning environment or the ability to set his own schedule, Visions directly supports all of Zee’s pursuits.

“Schooling through Visions has helped me a lot. Working at home gives me time to prepare for a day of training, whether it’s laundry or having time to eat a proper meal before the gym,” says Zee.

Between full days of training and frequent competitions, Zee is also focused on his high school education, all of which demand a lot from him. But when he was asked how he balances his studies with his fighting, Zee’s answer was simple: “Not much of a struggle to balance the two, just doing what I need to do.”

Showing the Ropes

Beyond the gym, ring, or Zoom room, Zee’s found another avenue where his skills can shine – helping younger fighters.

“I try to assist the younger trainees whenever I can, whether that’s helping my coach for demonstration, helping them with their stance or guard, or holding pads for them,” he shares. “I’m inspired to help the younger generation because a sport like Muay Thai takes a lot of confidence and perseverance so I feel the least I can do is help the people who are open enough to try the sport.”

Zee one day hopes to compete in Muay Thai for a living, but for now, he’ll continue to focus on obtaining his high school diploma from Visions. We’re excited to watch Zee continue to compete and find success in all of his future endeavors!

A final word from Ms. Morphy: “Zee will be graduating this spring and I am so proud of him for consistently keeping high grades while accomplishing so much in his sport as well. I cannot wait to see what he does next.”

Want to see Zee in action? Check out one his fights here!