They say adversity builds resilience and character in life; Hakeem Dawodu is the perfect example of both.

From growing up in an impoverished neighborhood in Calgary without his father, to being placed in a detention center at age 14 with little hope for his future, Hakeem has defied the odds.

He enrolled in martial arts as a means to control his anger and the unexpected happened.  He developed an innate passion for the sport and was finally able to utilize his past as the building blocks that propelled him through the path he was destined to travel.