Rising Star

Rising Star Nolan cheering on his teammates

All of our journeys begin with the first step. It may seem easy for some but for others stepping out of one’s comfort zone is an enormous challenge. Our youngest athlete Nolan, competed in the U12 elite in the Karate Ontario Team Trials 2 on Sunday, October 23rd. He is only 9 years old competing in a division for up to 11. Just learning Anan Dai a few weeks prior, he was already nervous. While many of us are concerned about medals, we were only concerned that he finishes the division.

In the previous September tournament Nolan was so overwhelmed with everything going on around him he was unable to to finish competing. This time around, he knew he had to face his fears and demonstrate a new kata. A double whammy for our least experienced athlete. His team spent a lot of time working with him by simulating stressors in the dojo and building his confidence. The result of his perseverance and team support was a bronze medal and a brilliant smile.

At just 9 years old, he continues to impress us all with his courage.

The result of the tournament was as follows:

Nolan Q = Bronze
Cadence T = Gold
Joanne T = Silver
Cassidy T = Bronze (Canada Games) Bronze (U18)
Zac C = Gold (Canada Games) Silver Kata and Kumite (U18)
Mateo Z = Bronze Kata and Kumite
Sara A = Gold
Daniyal A = Silver
Brandon L = Gold

A big shout out to Zac who now qualifies for the Canada Games and to Cassidy who was second in points for the her Canada Games division.

Go Club Seiryu Go!