U21 nationals kickstart to international events
Published Wednesday August 5th, 2009
Karate | 2 locals earn medals at national event and will be off to Pan American meet slated for El Salvador
Just call her Karate Kate.
Kate Campbell, a first-degree black belt from Charters Settlement, won the gold medal in women's kumite under 21 at the national karate championships held July 23-25 in Calgary.
As a result, Campbell will be representing Team Canada at the Pan American Karate Federation championships Aug. 30 to Sept. 6 in El Salvador and probably the world junior championships Nov. 12-15 in Rabat, Morocco.
"The odds are in my favour for Morocco," said Campbell, who would have to finish lower than national bronze medallist Renee Robertson of Ontario at the Pan Ams to be denied a spot.
Campbell, who trains out of the New Maryland Karate Club, beat B.C.'s Andrea Maikawa 4-0 in the gold medal match.
It was the first time in four tries Campbell had defeated Maikawa.
"It was the happiest moment of my life," said the personable Campbell, who also received the tournament sportsmanship award
"It was so cool, because she had always beaten me, including my very first match at nationals when I was 13," Campbell said. "Losing to her through the years was self-motivating."
Her proud parents, Ralph and Kendra, were quick to spread the word.
"I didn't have to brag when I got home - mom and dad had already told everyone," Kate said, laughing.
Don Mazerolle, a fifth degree black belt, is the chief instructor at the New Maryland club.
"Kate came to the club with her older brother (Alex) when she was five years old and now she's 19," Mazerolle said. "It's something she seemed to gravitate towards. She really liked the atmosphere and the hard work. Then competition came along and she really flourished with that."
"My brother and I are super competitive with each other," Campbell said, "so there was a sibling rivalry all the way through. After he moved away a couple years ago, my new focus was 'I want to be as good as her and her and her.' I just kept pushing myself."
Mazerolle says what separates Campbell from many students "is her ability to focus and train to that end.
"She's just outstanding, in many ways," Mazerolle said. "She's down to earth, hard-working and very unassuming. She's a real mentor and inspiration to the younger girls in our club. They all look up to her and they all want to be a Kate.
"She most certainly has the brains too," Mazerolle said. "As much as we challenge her, she challenges us."
Campbell completed her first year of arts/science studies at the University of New Brunswick with a 4.0 grade point average.
"It's kind of a pre-med," she said. "I'm planning on majoring in biology and sociology."
Between her busy school and work life, she makes time for karate.
"It's my release and it's always been there in my life," Campbell said. "It's almost like an internal clock 'It's karate time.' "
In addition to the upcoming trip to El Salvador (and probably Morocco), Campbell has also competed in Chile and the Dutch Antilles island of Curacao. Earning those trips is a testament to Campbell's hard work, Mazerolle said.
"You can want something," he said, "but it's another thing to achieve it. It takes a lot of work and determination."
Mazerolle has been involved with the sport since 1976 and it's become a family affair. His wife Katheryn Douglass is a fourth-degree black belt and their 18-year-old son, Laurie Mazerolle, is a fourth degree brown belt who placed fourth in senior kumite team sparring at the nationals.
"Don's like a second father and they're like a second family," Campbell said. "They've supported me financially, mentally, emotionally - pretty much the whole package - and, of course, I have my parents who do the same."
Randy Rix is Campbell's everyday coach. "He's been a huge help," said Campbell, who trains six or seven days a week for a minimum of two hours per day.
"I love it," she said. "I've made so many friends, so many memories, so many awesome times."
She'd like to make a 'medal' memory at the Pan Ams in El Salvador.
"I still get nervous, but I'm past the terrified stage," she said with a chuckle. "Now if I go to worlds that will be a whole new ballgame. I've gone to two Pan Ams and this year I really want to medal. I know I have a really good chance just because of where I am mentally right now."
Another local athlete, Fredericton's Yashna Hathi, will also be going to El Salvador after securing a silver medal in the cadet girls 14-15 kumite division at the nationals.
Hathi, 15, defeated opponents from Nova Scotia and British Columbia before falling 4-1 to Quebec's Francesca Bechard in the gold medal match.
"I did a lot better than I expected I would," said Hathi, who recently completed Grade 10 at Fredericton High School."I was really happy with how things turned out."
Hathi, who trains at Shuhari New Brunswick on the Lincoln Road, took up karate eight years ago at the insistence of her parents, Ketan and Neeta.
"After they saw a demo, they pretty much forced me to into it," she said with a chuckle.
"I didn't like it at first, but I was hooked within a month. I love the competition; I really like the fighting part."
Hathi, 15, placed second at the 2008 world wado kai championships in Vancouver and is slated to go to the 2010 event in Japan.
"She's a fierce competitor with a very bright future," coach Ryan Donaghy said.
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