“When something bad happens to us, we can sit back and dwell on how much it hurts or we can fight to make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else.  This was our take on losing Anthony in 2020. 

We had so many “What if’s?” in our mind so made it a point to become better, to learn more about mental health, and to be a support system for as many wrestlers as we could.  A young wrestler by the name Carson Floyd told us that no matter what, teens will always turn to their peers first for advice.  We took this to heart and sought to better prepare young wrestlers on what to say and do when approached by a friend in trouble.”

~ Jacqueline Williams (Anthony’s mom)

“Combat For Connection is a lifestyle, it's a group where we all support each other. We can express our feelings and talk about things that are on our mind. We fill each other's buckets and build up each other to be the best we can be.”

Our purple shirts started as memorial shirts for friends and family on special occasions. One day, we were asked to send one to Landon Foor, NC 4X State Champion, to wear on the podium for his 4th title. We were flooded with comfort and tears seeing our son on the podium, something we thought wouldn’t happen again. Anthony continued to be represented on the podium being carried by those who knew him or those carrying his story forward.

Through this, the pledge shirt was born.

Landon Foor

The pledge shirt is a symbol that whoever is wearing it has pledged to be there for their fellow wrestler, and themselves. The wrestlers wearing it are a safe place to seek mental health support, regardless of club, school, or state.

Since purple was one of Anthony’s favorite colors (he even dyed his hair purple!) seeing the shirts on the mat are glimmers of hope for those who miss him daily. Through this journey, we have learned we have two options: dwell in our dark times as the victim or we can reach out ready to embrace those connections around us. We are choosing daily to do the second and Combat for Connection.

“We are not only a support group but a family. I personally think that we don't wear purple, we bleed purple. I say this because it does not matter if we are on rival teams battling it out, we are supporting each other and win or lose we are all there for each other.”

Our Board of directors

  • Jacqueline is the driver and determined heart behind all that Combat for Connection does. She serves as our public speaker, networker, social media manager, merchandise designer, and does a wonderful job making videos of our wrestlers. Jacqueline is still working to develop the grief counseling side of C4C as she feels there is still a major hole with this in the community.

  • Carson Floyd and Anthony were on the same middle school wrestling team. After he passed, Carson rised up as a champion, encouraging Jacqueline Williams to combat for connection in the midst of her grief. He has always served as a driving force behind communication outreach even cutting off his prized mullet as a fundraiser for suicide awareness. Becoming a nationally ranked collegiate wrestler has not stopped his effort with this cause. He has continued to fundraise, obtain sponsors, work on our website, and network with coaches to continue spreading awareness.

  • Tyana brings her national level business knowledge to the board of Combat to ensure their goals are met, and a good strategy is in place. Her son found his "sport" in wrestling, and she found a welcoming community she wants to support. Her guidance and funding made C4C go from a passion project to an official non-profit organization. Additional contributions include her website development and fundraising abilities. We look forward to her growing in her knowledge of the sport.