Carlow started Taekwondo at Willow Martial Arts in 2013 with her mother and brother as a way to learn self defense and gain confidence moving into high school. Along the way, she found a community unlike anything she had known before. Eventually, her father joined and the family became known affectionately as “the fighting Doyles.” Throughout her journey, Carlow competed at Nationals and Junior Olympics, earning five gold medals. Throughout college, Carlow continued to make Taekwondo a priority and attended any classes she could. She enjoyed her summers off where she could be at Willow Martial Arts every week. During the Covid pandemic, Carlow even started a “Kirksville contingency” of Willow Martial Arts where her roommates would join in on the virtual classes. Carlow earned her black belt during the pandemic in December of 2020, with her dad, and considers it to be one of her highest achievements and proudest moments of her life.
Taekwondo was not without its struggles. Following her black belt test, Carlow took a step back to focus on her graduate studies and her health, which continued to deteriorate to the point of needing a feeding tube. Eventually, Carlow was able to return to Willow Martial Arts in 2025, where she realized a new found love of Taekwondo. Carlow fell in love the with mental aspects of Taekwondo, including jumping head first into learning to officiate Olympic sparring. Although Taekwondo looks a little different now than it did in 2013, Carlow continues to find new things to love about the sport and the community surrounding it.