VIDEO — Woman with Down Syndrome Earns Black Belt in Karate: ‘She Is Not a Quitter’

A 29-year-old woman in Jacksonville, Florida, earned her first-degree black belt in karate during a recent ceremony that took place at Hanna Park.

She is now the first person with Down syndrome to reach that goal at Zone Martial Arts School, News4Jax reported Sunday.

It was a special day Christina Haas has been working towards over the past four years.

Video footage showed the moment she received the belt:

“It feels powerful,” she explained when talking about putting on the special belt. “I like to feel power and strength.”

Down syndrome is described as a condition where an individual has an extra chromosome, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.

Now, her achievement is something her parents will cherish forever.

“It was a joy,” Christina’s mom, Luisa, stated. “I was so proud of her because she has been working so hard.”

The young woman went through over a dozen difficult tests in recent years, which challenged her physically and mentally. The drills included takedowns, defense mechanisms, and even breaking boards.

“Back chuck, front chucks, all of that stuff,” she recalled.

Luisa and Michael Haas told News4Jax their daughter was fearless and urged her loved ones to participate in karate.

Erik Ekholm, the instructor at the Zone, said Christina stopped attending at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic and missed over a year.

However, she was determined to earn the black belt and eventually did, using all the lessons learned at the school.

“To watch her persevere and to just set her mind to it and accomplish that goal, that is what is important in life,” Michael stated.