“I started Taekwondo when I was three,” says CJ Nikolas, now showcasing his expertise at the 2024 Olympics. CJ is ready to make history, inspired by his mother, Denise Nikolas, and guided by his father, a taekwondo instructor. Known for his lightning-fast kicks and relentless determination, he’s aiming to fulfill his mother’s dream at the Paris Olympics. CJ’s journey began in the Bay Area, training alongside his mother, a black belt whose dedication and skill inspired him deeply. 

With every practice and competition, he carries her legacy forward. Now a key member of Team USA, his story is one of dedication, family bonds, and the pursuit of Olympic glory. Now, the taekwondo star is all set to make standard high at the Paris Olympics, determined to leave his mark on the world stage.

The Taekwondo star is ready to set the standard high at the Paris Olympics 

According to a recent report on NBCOlympics on August 6, 2024, CJ Nikolas takes center stage with his eyes set on clinching gold at the Paris Olympics. At 22, CJ is number two in the 80kg division world Taekwondo rankings. In January, he was the top-20 American competitor, solidifying his spot on the Paris 2024 team. His journey to the Olympics is extraordinary, backed by his mother. Her constant support gave him the confidence he has now in Taekwondo. “He becomes this other person in the ring,” said his mother, Denise Nikolas, who introduced him to the sport when he was only three. “It’s nothing like who he is,” she added, describing her son.

Upon his selection for the Paris Olympics, CJ revealed to NBC News that it was a manifestation of a dream he had when he pleaded with his mother to enroll him in a karate class. “My mom was smart. She looked up combat sports for a kid and found martial arts in the Olympics, where you could build a career,” he said, pointing out how his journey to the Olympics started. After finding a random taekwondo school, she enrolled herself and her son. His mother was the one who watched him very closely and enjoyed every moment. She said to NBC News, “I am grateful for C.J.’s success. But my best moments with him and taekwondo are not when he’s on the stand celebrating victories,” clearing that it’s the journey she enjoyed the most with Nickolas.

This Taekwondo World Champion used to live with his mother and sister after his parents got divorced. Taekwondo is a sport he chose willingly, out of love and to connect with his father indirectly. He revealed to Teen Vogue, “I started it at such a young age that it became a part of my life and my family was there. I wasn’t living with my dad or staying with him. So that was where I connected with him.” Then, he continued how his mother supported him from the beginning- from raising him to being there during his training days.

Denise always focused on making him a better person from day 1, as Nickolas remarked with deep admiration to AP News, “She didn’t like combat sports and she just wanted to make sure that what I was doing was making me a better person — and not just teaching me how to fight.” So, when he looks at the Paris Olympics now, he kind of just sits and thinks, “Some moments I’ll just be sitting and thinking and I’ll be like, ‘Hang on, I’m going to the Olympics,’” he said in the same interview with Teen Vogue with a deep grin. His excitement was also extended to his family, and Nickolas stated how it is nice to see everyone proud of him. 

CJ Nickolas’s quest for gold at the Taekwondo men’s Olympics is evident

With the 2023 World Championship silver medal in Baku, Azerbaijan, he became the first American man to stand on the podium at that event since 2009. A three-time victor at the Pan American Games, he headed to France as his discipline’s sole representative of the United States. He leads four athletes in total who would carry American hopes in Taekwondo. Leading up to the Games, Nickolas spent most of his days rigorously training both body and mind in exhaustive preparation to retain his title at the top. On his training, he remarked, “I have a 9-5”, stressing his extensive regime. With 9-11 and 2-4 training sessions, he stays up for a meeting or gets his physio done. 

He is so dedicated to his game that even a malformed vertebra could not disrupt his determination. Neither was open heart surgery nor doubts about bulking his frame deter him. While bones break as training intensified, his eye remained set on Paris. It appears small obstacles alone fail to impede CJ Nickolas’ drive for a golden reward in France. While stressing his competitive approach towards the game, he told The Associated Press, “If I can do that, I don’t think that there’s anyone that can beat me.” His journey had been arduous, filled with challenges that tested his resolve. Yet he persevered, driven by a passion that refused to dim.

Now, as the lights shone down, a flood of memories from struggling past gave him a renewed determination to seize this moment at the Paris Olympics. “I think a winner’s mindset is trusting yourself and having confidence in your own talents and what you know you can do, what you’re capable of,” he said, which displayed his confidence. Will this determination help him clinch Olympic gold for Team USA? Let us know in the comments.