Joel Westbrook, a student at Green’s Karate for nearly a decade, is set to make U.S. Karate history. Mr. Westbrook, who competes in a wheelchair and has earned 40 gold medals, will become the first male wheelchair athlete ever named to the United States Para Karate Team, a division of the U.S. Karate Team (formerly the Olympic Karate Team).
Officials said, "This historic selection places Joel on track to compete in the 2025 Karate World Championships in Cairo, Egypt, scheduled for late November through early December.
He will be the first American man in a wheelchair to compete at the World Championships, a milestone in adaptive athletics and U.S. Karate history.
"While Team USA has previously included a female wheelchair athlete, Joel is the first male athlete to achieve this honor. If he medals at the international level, he will once again make history as the first male wheelchair athlete from the U.S. to do so.
"Joel’s achievement builds on Green’s Karate’s trailblazing legacy. The dojo also trained Ryan Rogers, the first person with autism ever selected to the U.S. Olympic Karate Team. Mr. Rogers represented Team USA from 2016 to 2021, setting a precedent for inclusive excellence in martial arts. Joel is now the second Green’s Karate athlete to reach this elite level.
"In total, Green’s Karate students have made U.S. Karate history 15 times—with champions who have autism, Down syndrome, spina bifida, visual impairments, and physical disabilities. All of them are locally born and trained at the same traditional karate dojo in Chattanooga."
“Joel’s determination and skill inspire everyone around him,” said Corey Green, owner of Green’s Karate. “He’s not just making history—he’s expanding what’s possible for athletes everywhere.”