How Muay Thai champ Chris Romulo overcame obstacles and achieved his goals on his own terms
‘Sharing my story of trials and tribulations’ is how Chris described his memoir ‘Champions Uprising’
After a series of unfortunate events in grammar school, Chris took to the streets of Queens, New York, where at 20 years old, a near-death street fight redirected his life.
Both his parents were Filipino immigrants. From his father’s obsession with lottery, Chris learned “in some twisted way about passion and dedication and focus from gambling.” From his mother’s routine job in the pharmacy, he learned that he never wanted to spend his life “confined to a soul sucking nine-to-five.” His mom wanted to become a school teacher but as Chris writes, “she put her life on hold to support her family.”
Early on, he vowed he would “carve my own path.”
The Romulo family enjoying outdoor barbecue with Chris, his parents Carlito and Lucita (2nd and 3rd from right), his brothers Andrew and Joey, and his son Jube.
“Champions Uprising” is the story of Chris’ change of heart during his 20-year journey through the study of Muay Thai, which took him from New York City to Bangkok, Thailand and back again. It’s also the story of the trials he overcame to become the first professional North American Super-Middleweight Muay Thai Champion.
Chris Romulo’s personal journey takes the reader to his struggle as a young man on the streets to become a successful and respected fighter with a steadfast mindset to guide his choices. His is a story of uprising against life’s greatest challenges, but also a realistic, moving tale of his journey through fatherhood. The book is also about the challenges he faced while trying to connect with his Filipino heritage after growing up in an Americanized household.
“When I started dating, I never understood when my mom would tell me to find a nice Filipino girl,” he writes. “Her and my father had done such an efficient job at Americanizing us that I never felt connected to Filipino culture. I instead connected myself to the culture of inner city Queens, New York, listening to hip hop groups like Das EFX and following the legendary life of Bruce Lee.”
Chris and Sarah and their sons Jube, 19, and Gio, 5.
He continues: “My mother and father worked hard to Americanize us. They didn’t teach us Tagalog, the main language of the Philippines. They didn’t feed us traditional Filipino foods, like afritada. And unlike so many of my friends, whose parents also immigrated to The Ville, we never visited our motherland. I had friends from the neighborhood who went back to their home country to see relatives. I was envious they got away from Queens and saw the world.”
After retiring, Chris was forced to make one more comeback when Hurricane Sandy destroyed his home and gym in 2012. His family became homeless for a year.
Brian Grasso, co-host of the radio program “Brian & Carrie In the Morning,” found Chris to be “a truly authentic soul.”
“There’s a certain kind of magic that pours out of him and that energy leaves you feeling at ease,” he said. “Tough-as-nails, no-nonsense, but deeply passionate and caring at the same time. This book is magnetic and a perfect representation of the type of person and leader Chris is.”
Chris Romulo runs CROM Physical Culture in Rockaway Beach, NY where he lives with his wife, Sarah, and two sons, Jube and Giovanni. While continuing to coach at CROM, Chris now motivates people through public speaking. Chris can be reached at Chris@ChrisRomulo.com.
Copyright © 2017 The FilAm
As a Muay Thai boxer, Chris has won many awards, including the North American Super-Middleweight pro title in 2010. Photo by Scott Hirano
