When Evin Ersan heard about the passing of his mentor, friend and martial arts coach John Morrow, he knew he needed to find a way to pay tribute. It couldn’t be easy. Morrow would’ve wanted Ersan to challenge himself physically and mentally. Ersan thought back through some of his many memories with Morrow and realized he could incorporate Morrow’s favorite exercise into his tribute, push-ups.
Then it became clear, 100 push-ups a day for 100 days.
John Morrow was a key figure in the community and a local legend. He ran a martial arts studio, but his impact stretched far beyond the four, white walls of the building.
“Many of (his students) came to him, and not just kids but also adults,” said Ersan. “In times of great darkness in their lives.”
Morrow had the ability to teach martial arts and physical fitness in a way that could reach those who needed guidance. He shaped his teachings around four core values: Discipline, integrity, honor, and respect.
Those were values that Morrow showed throughout his life, often, lending a hand to those needing help through volunteering and fundraising.
“He would elevate his students to help others like that,” said Ersan.
Ersan started training with Morrow when Ersan was just six years old. By the time Ersan turned 14, Morrow was like a father figure in his life. That was also the year where their relationship grew closer. Ersan wanted to show off his martial art skills at the school talent show and asked for Morrow’s help.
“He took over. I was like, ‘I don’t know what we should do,’ and he was like, ‘All right. I have an idea,'” said Ersan. “He basically was the one that choreographed it.”
The effort and care that Morrow put into the talent show production stuck with Ersan.
“It was really cool to see that someone of his caliber would do something like that,” said Ersan.
It helped the two grow closer even when Ersan moved away for college. They met for lunch at Tanglewood during breaks.
“There was also a side to him, where he was very sweet,” said Ersan. “Where we would just talk and just enjoy each other’s company, so that was really nice.”
When Ersan learned of Morrow’s passing, he knew he had to find the right way to pay tribute to the local legend.
“So, I thought his favorite exercise was pushups, because he broke the record for that, for his backhand push-ups,” said Ersan. “I thought ‘I’m going to do that. 100 pushups a day. 100 days of Morrow.’ So I kind of just coined that.”
On Friday, Ersan was on day three of his 100 push-ups for 100 days challenge – what he calls 100 Days for Morrow. He encourages everyone to join him, even if they can’t do 100 push-ups. Ersan says no matter what it is, as long as you’re doing something to be healthier, you can be a part of this challenge.
The whole point of it is to spread awareness about the impact of physical health on mental health for which Morrow advocated. You can find the challenge on Instagram under the hashtag, #100DaysforMorrow.