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Minnesotan with Down Syndrome earns Black Belt in karate
It is easy to spot determination once karate practice starts. But Bruce Stolp kicks it in beforehand. "My mother tells me, 'Bruce, hurry-up,'" explains the Oronoco man about his sprint from the lobby to the changing room at National Karate in Rochester. A decade ago some people told Bruce's parents, a karate studio was no place for a man with Down Syndrome. No one is saying that anymore -- especially not to Bruce's face. At the age of 31, Bruce recently earned his Black Belt. "When Bruce was born the Mayo Clinic said, don't take him home, all you'll do is change his pants and feed him," recalls Neil Stolp, Bruce's father. Neil and his wife Peggy didn't much like the idea of sending Bruce to an institution, so they took him home and raised him the best they could. Bruce didn't walk until he was four years old. He's been making up for lost time ever since. "He's a very determined person," says his dad. Two karate instructors turned Bruce down, before Bruce Nelson and his staff at National Karate took Bruce on as a student ten years ago. "He really gives everything he's got to it. Proud as heck of him," says Scott Eggert, an instructor at National Karate. Eggert says it typically takes about four years of practice for a motivated beginner to achieve a Black Belt. Bruce trained three days a week for ten years at National Karate, before achieving his. "We got very emotional." says Peggy Stolp. "And Bruce, he got what he wanted." Bruce is quiet about his accomplishment, but when prodded admits, "I'm proud of me. I'm proud of myself, yes."
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