Ms. Sam earned her 3rd degree black belt here at GVT in 2025. She began her journey at Relford Martial Arts in Nebraska, where she trained until 2nd degree. Her love for sparring seeps into everything she does, and her life is never the same without it! After competing at both national and international tournaments for years, she is excited to have the chance to pass on her knowledge and experiences to others, both as an instructor and as competition team coach. When not at the dojang, Ms. Sam works with children with special needs. She graduated in December 2024 from CMU with her BA in Psychology, and is currently pursuing a master's degree.

Ms. Esther earned her 1st degree black belt here at GVT in 2025. She has long held a love of martial arts and was excited to join GVT after they moved out of the Holley's garage and started the adult program. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology with a minor in dance, as well as associate degrees in Russian and German. When she is not on the mats, she is at home being driven insane by her three children, her husband, and her dog. She loves to sew and be outdoors to maintain her sanity. 

Ms. Skye earned her 2nd degree black belt here at GVT in 2026. She started her Taekwondo journey as a child in California, and practiced on and off when she moved to Wisconsin in high school. Ms. Skye moved to Colorado for college in 2019, finding GVT in 2022. She earned her 1st degree here in 2024. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, and works as a nursing assistant at St. Mary’s Hospital. Ms. Skye enjoys training and competing at tournaments, hiking with her dog, and going to the gym. Her goal is to help her students become the best version of themselves on and off the mat.

Mr. Landyn earned his 1st degree black belt here at Grand Valley Taekwondo in 2025, alongside his dad. He currently attends Central High School. His favorite thing about taekwondo is sparring. As a color belt he has competed regularly at the local, regional, and national level, and he is excited to dive into black belt level competition. Outside of the dojang, Mr. Landyn likes to skateboard and play basketball. He is excited to inspire more people to love sparring and go to tournaments with the GVT Competition Team.

Mr. David earned his 2nd degree black belt here at GVT in 2026. He began his taekwondo journey at Amy’s Martial Arts in Orem, Utah, where he earned his 1st degree black belt in 2012 . After moving to Colorado, he couldn’t find a taekwondo school in Grand Junction until discovering GVT in November 2024. He holds a director’s degree from CNCC and works as a center director for the City of Grand Junction. Outside the dojang, he enjoys time with his pets—Trixie, Graython, and Rosie. In the winter, he loves snowboarding and you can always find him at Powderhorn. Mr. David is passionate about demonstration team and loves showcasing the students’ hard work.

Mr. Jarret earned his 1st degree black belt here at GVT in 2026. He has been competing in sparring since he was a white/yellow belt, going to almost every tournament the GVT team had attended in that time. He competed at the National Championships in 2024 and 2025, and placed 2nd in his division in 2024. Mr. Jarret's vision is to create athletes who aren't afraid to shoot for the stars. Mr. Jarret graduated from high school in May 2026. Outside the dojang, he enjoys weightlifting, snowboarding, and working on cars.