Irmo, SC (WLTX) -- After a childhood illness, that caused mental and physical disabilities, a stroke in 2008 and surgery for ovarian cancer in July 2015, a 73-year-old woman is showing what perseverance means.
On Saturday, Brenda Beck earned her black belt in Tae Kwon Do.
"I'm so proud of myself I could scream, loud," Brenda said.
Brenda has been working towards a black belt for eight long years, kicking and punching her way through class. Brenda's sister, Nora Stroupe says she has tackled life with that same tenacity.
"She (Brenda) was born with spinal meningitis in February of 1943," Stroupe said. "Then when she was in the hospital with that, she caught polio in September of '43."
A stroke in 2008 slowed Brenda down even more, but it did not stop her. After moving to the Midlands three years ago and leaving her first Tae Kwon Do Academy, Stroupe searched the area for an instructor who would take on her sister.
Many turned her down saying it was too difficult or it would take too much time to teach her. But then she met Master Daniel Kim at the U.S. Tae Kwon Do academy in Irmo.
"I believe that Master Kim is one of those people that God put in our life and I hope that we will be friends forever," said Stroupe.
Master Kim concentrated on what Brenda could do, instead of the limitations her disabilities have placed on her.
"She is strong with her blocks and the use of her hands. So we modified a curriculum where she could practice her hand techniques," Master Kim said.
He also said that Brenda is the epitome of the tenants of Tae Kwon Do.
"Perseverance and indomitable spirit, those are two tenants of Tae Kwon Do and she never gives up," he said. "She's gone through a lot through her life."
Those same characteristics have enriched and inspired other people too, including her sister.
"Our mom passed in '94 and she said, 'I'm giving you Brenda.' and I said, 'Thank you.' A lot of people would look and say, 'Just give up on her.', But I won't," said Stroupe.
The boards that Brenda broke to earn her black belt show the words, "give up" don't exist in her vocabulary. That, Stroupe says, is something she learned from Brenda. During the test, when Master Kim asked her if she had ever broken two boards at once,she told him, "No." When he said, "Do you want to try?" She said, "Yes, Sir."
She did break those boards.
"When you make up your mind to do something you can do it. It may not be your way, Master Kim's way, or your way, but it was my way of breaking them boards," Brenda said.
Brenda plans to go for her double black belt, so she will be back in class Monday night.
