This is my third time competing at the World Championships. I competed in 2008 in Tokyo, Japan in the -60kg category and competed in 2010 in Belgrade, Serbia as a member of the mens team kumite team. Neither of my prior visits to the World Championships in the past resulted the way I wanted them to, however, in retrospect I am very glad things went the way they have. If I didn't have those experiences, I wouldn't be where I am now.

Nobody can say for sure they are 'the best' in a division until they prove it later this year. People say a lot of things, but all that matters is what happens in the ring. I cant say what is going to happen in the ring, but I can humbly say that I am in a strong place both mentally and physically and more so believe that I will demonstrate this in Paris. I also am fortunate enough to be surrounded by an excellent team; in regards to competence as athletes and as people. Being on this team makes everything better and more fun. We bring the best out in each other, we pick each other up when we're down and push each other higher when we're feeling good. Our team chemistry is great, and our recent results have more than proved that.

It is going to be a lot of fun.

I can't say that I have a hero per se, however, there are many people who I have looked up to and have been inspired by in a variety of ways. There a few notable ones in regard to karate, most of them being former USA team members who I was fortunate enough to have been able to spend time training and competing with. John Fonseca is the hardest working person I have ever been able to train with. I don't think many people really understand how hard he trained or how many encumbrances he pushed through. I learned a lot from John, but the most important thing I learned from him is what hard work really is. Billy Finegan, a very close friend of mine, is probably the most ferocious fighter I've ever seen. Its great to a fighter go into a match against someone great and just run them over without the slightest bit of hesitation. Going into a fight without fear or hesitation allows me to be the best I can be, Billy was crucial in me learning that. Junior Lefevre was the first fighter I ever followed or tried to emulate, and one thing that sticks with me to this date is how versatile he was. I have made sure that I am also versatile so that I can keep my opponents guessing at all times just like he did. Elisa Au-Fonseca had this aura about her that almost 'smelled like winning'; it was borderline palpable at times. I am not sure if it was a state of mind, or just that she had that much self belief, but being around her training and competing was special and something I don't think I can forget even if I tried.

Outside of karate, Michael Phelps, Mohandas Gandhi, Floyd Mayweather, Winston Churchill, and Kobe Bryant inspire me in different ways to perform better as an athlete and be a better person.

There are a lot of emotions that an athlete goes through in preparation for a big event, both negative and positive. There's also a lot of sacrifice involved in preparing yourself adequately. When I stand on the line before a fight, I take with me the confidence knowing I did everything in my power to prepare properly for that match, I put the hours of grunt work in, I trained smart, I fixed my weaknesses, I made my strengths stronger and I KNOW that nobody worked as hard as I did; that makes me feel ready and I remind myself of that. When I step into the ring my body goes on autopilot and does what it has been trained to. That is something people who have not competed on an elite level can understand. It is really out of this world and an amazing feeling.