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SANDY — For most kids, attending a martial arts class is a choice. It requires such a commitment you have to want to be there.
Ethan Fineshriber's mother kind of had to make the decision for him.
"I said, 'You can do soccer, t-ball or karate,'" Mara Fineshriber remembered.
She was worried about her son not socializing or having many friends.
"He just said he didn't want to do any of them. I said, 'You choose or I choose for you.'"
That was four years ago and let's just say since then he's left most of his peers in the dust.
"It makes me feel like some kind of superhero where I have like a special power," Ethan said as he practiced his martial arts routine Thursday. "I always wanted to fly, but I think I'm flying enough now."
He really took flight earlier this month at the American Taekwondo Association World Championships.
"It was amazing," Ethan said. "I was standing there thinking I have a 50 percent chance of winning it and 50 percent chance of losing it."
He didn't just win in his event of "extreme martial arts" — he got a perfect score.
"I was shocked," he said.
Competitive martial arts can be a challenge for anyone. It can mean years of commitment and hours of training. But for Ethan, his struggle is even more of a challenge.
"I remember when [his doctors] sat me down and said, 'Well, he's definitely on the spectrum,'" Mara Fineshriber said.
Doctors diagnosed Ethan on the autism spectrum when he was 3 years old.
"All that went through my mind is, will he be able to be a productive member of society?" Mara Fineshriber said. "Will he be able to have a wife and hold down a job?"
Ethan is smashing stereotypes and also gaining quite a bit in the process.
"My son who had no friends up until he was probably 9 has now gained so many friends," Mara Fineshriber said.
June 30 may be the day Ethan became a world champion, but it's also the day his mother's dreams took flight.
"He's reached amazing heights and goals," Mara Fineshriber said. "I don't worry at all anymore. He will be just fine."
