A young Saanich black belt has been named one of the five recipients of Karate CanadaB次元官网网址檚 second annual Stay in the Fight Bursary which seeks to encourage female athletes to continue in their sport.
On March 26, Karate Canada announced that Malia Brodie, 18, and four other karate athletes from across the country had been awarded $1,800 bursaries to support them as they explore different roles B次元官网网址� coaching, officiating, governance or leadership B次元官网网址� to stay involved in karate.
Brodie, who got her start in karate at age four and trains with Varsity Performance Karate in Saanich, was excited to hear sheB次元官网网址檇 been selected. When applying, she had to explain her history in the sport, how sheB次元官网网址檇 use the funds and her goals moving forward.
The teen hopes to move into an officiating role for provincial- and national-level tournaments. The bursary will cover the cost of the certification courses which will start online sometime in May, she explained.
This year, Brodie hasnB次元官网网址檛 been able to train as much as she normally would because of the pandemic, but still managed to get her black belt in September.
Karate is B次元官网网址渞eally good for your mental healthB次元官网网址� because when you step on the mat, you B次元官网网址渓et go of your worries,B次元官网网址� she said, adding that it also creates opportunities to give back to the community through coaching, refereeing and judging.
Kraig Devlin, her coach at Varsity Performance, said Brodie is unique because she likes to officiate and B次元官网网址渋tB次元官网网址檚 a tough thing to do.B次元官网网址�
Most athletes end up in the coaching stream, he explained, but officiants are in high demand because karate is an B次元官网网址渙fficiant-heavy sportB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� aside from the two athletes competing, four judges, a referee, a scorekeeper, a timekeeper and a supervisor are needed.
Devlin, who also coaches the national senior team and serves as Karate CanadaB次元官网网址檚 high-performance director, noted that Brodie has medaled at many tournaments and national championships over the years. Most young women stop competing between the ages of 16 and 18 but the goal is to keep them involved in karate some way even after they retire, he said.
Brodie hopes to encourage others to try out karate and take the sport seriously by getting involved in the competitive side.
Despite the pandemic, classes have continued at Varsity Performance with new safety protocols in place. New students are welcome and classes can be accessed online via Zoom.
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