MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – One Myrtle Beach 10-year-old has brought home a gold medal for raising nearly $1,500 for Tap Out Cancer in a jiu-jitsu tournament.
For Evan Tyler, who’s had family members who’ve had cancer, the sport is about helping others, not fighting one another.
10-year-old Tyler sees his neighbors as his equals.
“I feel good, I mean you’re never better than someone, it’s always equal,” he said.
He raised nearly $1,500 in under two weeks for Tap Out Cancer, an initiative that helps organizations like Alex’s Lemonade Stand to help stamp out childhood cancer.
“I just wanted to because raising money to help treat cancer and find research for it is just what I want to do, so not as many of my family members die from cancer,” said Tyler.
Tyler says his aunt and grandmother’s battle with cancer inspired him to help out.
“My sister passed away from cancer a year ago. I’m a two-time cancer survivor, but also he’s that kid who when I talked to him and explained who the competition was, and he just said, you know Grammy, jiu-jitsu is not just fighting, it is the right thing to do. You help people,” said Patricia Marlow, Tyler’s grandmother.
Tyler earned a gold medal, top kid fundraiser, and fourth highest overall fundraiser last weekend at the tournament in Charlotte, North Carolina.
“Oh, I felt so proud because it’s for a good reason, and he did raise that money like in two weeks,” said the lead instructor where Tyler trains at Checkmat Myrtle Beach, Master Leo Silveira. “He did [it] quickly.”
“I am so proud of this kid, like I couldn’t tell you,” said Marlow. “I’m really proud of him.”
Tyler also wears an ‘In-Memoriam’ military patch on his uniform to honor his grandmother’s best friend, Daniel Petithory, who was the first special forces soldier to die in Afghanistan.