10 Kelowna karate athletes will represent Canada at world championships in Japan

Ten local karate athletes have been selected for the Canadian national Team after a successful weekend at the national championships in Montreal this weekend.

Those champions will be heading to the Japan Karate Association (JKA) World Championships, which are being held this fall.

Sensei Paul Atkin earned first place gold in the men’s elite kumite, out of 28 other fighters.

Atkin said he couldn’t be more proud of the athletes’ performance at the nationals, adding that they fought hard and showed “incredible resilience and spirit” in each match.

"Now we re-focus and work to prepare for the World Championships as this will be a completely different animal to defeat,” Atkin says in a news release.

“As for my personal results it has been a lot of dedication and sacrifice to get to this point but it has been a wonderful tool to show my students the correct path towards any of your goals.”

Atkin explains that he has been competing for 24 years and that this will be his last World Championships but is excited to represent Canada on the international level.

“Technique defeats strength but spirit dominates everything,” Atkin says.

Here is a list of the results from the JKA National Championships:

• Sensei Paul Atkin- 1st place Gold Men's elite kumite

• Merlyn Guilderson- 1st place Gold kumite, 3rd place Bronze kata

• Sofia Runzer-1st place Gold kata, 3rd place Bronze kumite

• Oliver Renz- 2nd place Silver kumite, 2nd place Silver team kata

• Geordie Adlem- 2nd place Silver kumite, 3rd place Bronze kata

• Max Guilderson- 2nd place Silver team kata, 3rd place Bronze kata

• Mervin Guilderson- 2nd place Silver team kata, 3rd place Bronze kata

• Bodo Papke- 3rd place kumite, 4th kata

• Cayden Adlem- 3rd place kata, 4th kumite

• Kaela Linsdell- 4th kata, 4th kumite

• Yuma Nakamura- Top 8 kata

Kelowna Karate, which are members of the JKA, is located at 1925 Kirschner Rd.

The has been operating in the Okanagan for 30 years. They have classes for kids aged four all the way up to 13, youth aged 14 and up, family karate and women’s self defence classes.