A student-athlete’s drive for excellence is admirable, and Josh Bryan Rigor is one among many Filipinos who consistently break barriers and test the limits of what a student can do as long as they’re given the opportunity to excel in their chosen fields.
During an interview with Josh and his dad, Dr. Bryan Rigor, the latter remarked that it is a parent’s job to expose their children to various activities and hobbies. “The rest,” he said, “is up to them.”
It was Josh’s parents who pushed him to venture into sports, and Josh took to it like a duck to water. Given his natural aptitude for academics, Josh is able to balance his extracurricular activities with his schoolwork quite easily. He remains a member of the National Honors Society in the United States, and at the same time, Josh holds the title of Michigan state Grand Champion in Taekwondo—an achievement he shares with his sister, KC Rigor.
Josh revealed that his greatest inspiration is his older sister, who graduated summa cum laude in high school, and again when she graduated from college in Michigan. However, she is also an accomplished athlete and has two U.S.A. National Taekwondo championships under her belt.
“In Taekwondo, Ate was always stronger and faster even though she’s shorter than me,” Josh said. KC is ranked first in the state of Michigan and ranked among the top 10 in the entire U.S.
At present, KC is studying at the Cebu Institute of Medicine, while Josh continues to hone his craft back in the U.S. He is set to represent the U.S in the United World Games 2022 in Klagenfurt, Austria from June 16 to June 19 as a basketball player.
To prepare for the United World Games 2022, Josh trains with his dad and an agility coach for at least two hours at the gym every day after school. Their workout regimen includes pull-ups, jump squats and other exercises focused on improving reaching ability and vertical jumps.
In his downtime, Josh plays video games with his friends and dabbles in other sports like lacrosse, golf, and football. He also likes building computers and assembling LEGOs so that he can relax in-between training and studying.
Josh and KC are lucky to have supportive parents who push them to be the best that they can be. Likewise, their parents are lucky to have children who have grown to remain humble despite everything they’ve achieved at such a young age.
Though Josh’s mom, Dr. Wendy Bayon, can’t bear to watch Josh’s games live, she makes up for it by watching the recording once the game is over and she knows her son was unharmed.
The siblings are “very protective of their mom, but they make fun of her,” Dr. Bryan quipped.
Josh is visiting the Philippines prior to embarking for Europe to grace the 82nd birthday of his beloved grandmother, Lilia Rigor, and to commemorate the death anniversaries of his grandparents, Ananias Rigor and, lawyer Rudolfo and Luz Bayon.
The Rigor family lives up to its name by showing determined “rigor” in every challenge they face. Josh and his sister, KC, are an inspiration to young Filipinos worldwide. Their continuous drive toward excellence is bolstered by their love for their family and their personal goals.