John Arendt
Black Press
A Twin Lakes karate athlete will represent Canada at the 2014 Junior Pan-American Championships in Lima, Peru, later this month.
William Wright, 18, qualified to represent Canada in the international competition when he placed second at the Canadian National Championships in January.
The competition in Peru is the highest level possible for junior athletes.
Karate athletes from 37 countries are expected at the Pan-American Karate Federation Championships.
The tournament will bring more than 500 of the best athletes in the sport.
Wright, a brown belt, has studied karate for the past six years. He trains with the Taneda Karate Dojo in Summerland.
Wright will compete in the men’s kumite or sparring for men 18 to 21 years of age and under 67 kilograms.
He anticipates strong competition since only the top two athletes from each country will compete in each event.
Training for the international competition includes three sessions a week with Taneda Karate Dojo and regular exercising at home.
“It becomes a full-time effort,” he said.
Wright joined karate with a friend six years ago. Since then, he has continued with the sport through Taneda Karate Dojo.
“The environment at our dojo is good,” he said. “We’re really close-knit, almost like a family.”