Bringing Home the Gold

Arjun began his Tae Kwon-Do training at a young age; and, despite the cliché, admits that it was the movie Karate Kid that originally inspired his interest. “I got picked on a lot as a kid, and the movie inspired me to do something about it,” he shares. His parents enrolled him in Tae Kwon-Do at the age of eight, and he began competing in tournaments and teaching both adults and children when he was eleven. He stopped competing when he was fifteen to focus on teaching other students. Although he

When college came along, Arjun joined Sigma Nu, which opened up opportunities for leadership in the chapter and on campus. He remembers being drawn to the Sigma Nu chapter because many of their members were campus leaders as well, and he naturally wanted to be one of them. He jumped in with both feet and became an officer in the chapter right away. He was elected Commander his junior year and enjoyed the position so much that he ran again to become a two-term Commander in his senior year.

Although he says he wasn’t as focused on his training during this time, Arjun still progressed in the ranks and eventually earned his 4th Degree Black Belt while still in the chapter. In July of 2003, at the age of 24, he earned his 5th Degree Black Belt, making him the youngest in the country to achieve this ranking.

Over the years, Arjun has enjoyed the benefits of being trained by his step-father, Rob Wheatley, an 8th Degree Black Belt, Master Instructor and President of the United States International Tae Kwon-Do Federation. Wheatley is in the Martial Arts Hall of Fame and holds several World Records in power breaking.

In January, when Arjun decided to try out for the US Team, he began preparing for the national qualifiers which were to be held in March. It was the first time this competition had allowed participants at the rank of 5th Degree Black Belt. There, he placed first in his division and won a spot on the US Team.

That win meant Arjun would go on to compete with the US Team at the International Tae Kwon-Do World Championships in August 2007 in Birmingham, England. It was the opportunity of a lifetime, and he knew that training would entail a major commitment if he wanted to do well in the competition, which, in the Tae Kwon-Do world is equivalent to the Olympics. He began a regimen of training six days a week, most of those days consisting of morning and evening workouts, totaling 3-4 hours a day. He trained with his step-father and spent weekends traveling four hours each way to Pleasanton, Calif. to train with his teammates. “I didn’t want to leave anything to chance,” says Arjun.

His training paid off. Competing in the most senior division of the tournament for 5th Degree Black Belts, Arjun won a unanimous decision in the finals over his opponent, Argentina National Champion Juan Bernasconi. "It was an amazing experience to have the opportunity to represent my country in something I have dedicated such a large part of my life to. I am honored by the outcome in England and won't soon forget this moment," said Arjun, following the competition.

Today, Arjun works in banking in residential sales and business development; and he’s still in leadership with the Delta Xi Chapter as president of the local House Corporation. He says the reason he stays involved is the same reason he’s still involved with Tae Kwon-Do.

“It’s one of those things that pays back dividends based on how much you put into it. The connections, the friendships and the life experiences are unmatched. And the leadership lessons I gained from Sigma Nu—how to multi-task, govern my peers, manage a difficult schedule, tackle problems and deal with people—are skills that I utilize today in my professional life. I don’t plan on ever stepping away from my involvement in Sigma Nu,” says Arjun.