The Night Blooming chronicles the harrowing experiences of authors and competitive Taekwondo athletes, teenage twins Sally and Jonah Ismael, as they navigated a traumatic childhood filled with abuse, bullying, and rejection. The twins faced immense psychological, emotional, and mental distress, ultimately grappling with chronic PTSD while seeking to uncover their true identities amidst society's stereotypes, labels, and stigmas.
The book is a reflection of the journals they kept over seven years of solitary training in their garage, where they were isolated, rejected, and abused. As they struggled with their pain and watched their childhood slip away, the twins began a journey of self-discovery, eventually unearthing inner strength that guided them towards a new path and a sense of purpose.
The Night Blooming serves as a testament to the healing power of resilience and determination in the face of adversity. It tells the story of two teenagers who bravely defied their abuser and overcame the many challenges that threatened to define them. More About the Book..
The chapters
Seperate Introductions by Sally and Jonah on their perspectives of their journey.
Who are we? Our behaviors, our dreams, and the way the world views us.
How their story began their first steps.
We saw rejection as a trigger to redirect our conduct back to the right path .
Learning to train alone in a garage. What it was like to be alone.
There will always be obstacles, adversity, challenges, doubters, and setbacks
along the way of achieving a person's life quest.
Pain is a contradictory term. Pain can exacerbate grief and magnify depression.
Encountering obstacles is essential to mental development.
Positivity is the quality of having an optimistic attitude while living through an endless series of battles with darkness.
Healing is a difficult process that we had to go through to heal.
We believed in our message, our purpose, and our dream.
Find your passion, develop your vision, arm yourself with discipline, and
focus on your goal.
Sally and Jonah Ismael are competitive athletes who compete internationally in their sport, Taekwondo. They were awarded The Award of Excellence by Noble Laureate in Science and Medicine, Dr. Mario Capecchi. Sally and Jonah are both Congressional Award Medalists, one of the highest honors bestowed upon young people from the United States Congress and both earned a STEM Star as well. They are the founders of the non-profit organization, “The Power Within,” and former members of the AAU/USA National Team. Both have been practicing their sport in their garage on their own since 2016; both hold black belts. Sally and Jonah are active advocates on social media platforms as they spread awareness about mental health, abuse and how to cope with bullying. The two also write daily motivational blogs to encourage young people to find the strength within themselves.
At just the tender age of 10, twin siblings Sally and Jonah Ismael, won gold medals at AAU/USA National Taekwondo Championship. They earned their first black belt before they went to nationals. The high school juniors are earning top grades in school, applying for college shortly, training in their garage for the Olympics, recognized by awards from Congress and Nobel Prize winners, published authors of The Night Blooming, inspiring their peers, and the co-founders of an international non-profit, The Power Within, where they advocate for mental wellness, the power of education, and the resiliency of individuals. They empower, inspire, and advocate for youth, helping the underprivileged to develop and thrive. They are just 17.
In 2019, they participated in the World Cadet Championship for Taekwondo in Uzbekistan. It is the highest-ranking championship. Jonah finished fifth out of the 64 countries participating. A dual citizen of the United States and Israel, and because of a falling out with their American coach (master) and feeling closed out/bullied out of competing in the US, the Arab-Americans competed for Israel. They did not feel safe competing in the US.
In 2018, they competed in the European Cadet Championship in Spain. Sally placed fifth.
In order to train for the championship, they competed across the globe, including Spain, Belgium, Canada, Mexico, Luxembourg, Israel, Costa Rica, and the Netherlands. Since 2016, they have trained in their family’s garage, primarily without the supervision of a coach.
They reside in Plano, TX (by Dallas). For more info, see The Power Within
Whether you have questions or you would just like to say hello, contact us.
Jonah and Sally
thenightbloomingsj5@gmail.com
Texas
