Achieving a goal years in the making, one Athens resident has put in the work to gain one of martial arts’ most renowned ranks.

Athens resident Ian Collier (center) has earned a black belt in taekwondo, which he was recently presented at a ceremony at Tiger Rock Martial Arts in Madison. Collier is a junior at Athens Renaissance and has found the time and dedication required to earn his way up the ranks, starting with white and making his way to that coveted black belt.

Other students received promotions at the ceremony, including some of Collier’s own family members. His brother James, a seventh grader at ARS, earned his brown belt, level one, and his father, Tom, earned his blue belt, level one.