A group of athletes from the Shogun Dojo in Smithers have returned with some hardware from the WKU World Karate Championships in Trier Germany.<\/p>\n
Smithers led the way for Team Canada, sending the largest group of athletes, alongside teammates from Victoria, Ottawa, and Calgary.<\/p>\n
Shogun Sensei, Team Canada Coach and Competitor Sensei Karim Abu Khadra said he was extremely proud of every single one of them.<\/p>\n
“Everyone gave their 110 per cent, and I couldn’t ask for anything more,” he said.<\/p>\n
“The outcome of their placements didn’t matter — what mattered was that everyone learned, grew, and experienced something new. Overall, I believe everyone had fun, and that’s truly the most important thing.<\/p>\n
He noted there were a couple of competitors who really stood out to him over the week of the competition.<\/p>\n
“One of them was Talia Choy, who competed in one of the more difficult disciplines — Forms — and showed everyone the result of her dedication and effort she put into her preparation,” he said.<\/p>\n
“The other was Zeek Joseph, who, no matter what happened in and outside the ring, always carried a heartwarming smile filled with positivity.”<\/p>\n
Team photographer Sam Raven said that capturing the moments for Team Canada and the Shogun Dojo at the worlds was truly something special.<\/p>\n
“As I went through the photos, I could see the growth in every athlete — fear turned to fierce, uncertainty to confidence,” she explained.<\/p>\n
“Every frame told a story of discipline, heart, and perseverance. Beyond photographing the action, I also provided background support for Team Canada, and in doing so, I got to witness absolute magic. There were wins that brought tears of joy and heartbreaks that tested resilience — a true roller coaster of emotion.”<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, she said through it all, the support never wavered.<\/p>\n
“Teammates lifted each other up, cheered the loudest, and celebrated every effort. By the end of the week, Team Canada wasn’t just a team, it was family.”<\/p>\n
She went on to say that what also stood out was the connections all the athletes made.<\/p>\n
“Athletes from around the world — Mexico, Germany, England, Ireland, and so many more — shared smiles, stories, and encouragement. Competition quickly turned into camaraderie, and friendships were formed that will last long after the medals are packed away.”<\/p>\n
Final Smithers Results: <\/strong><\/p>\n Cody Bakker: Junior Team Point Fighting – Gold; Junior Point Fighting, 65kg – Bronze<\/p>\n Talia Choy: Traditional Karate Forms – Silver<\/p>\n Lucas Coles: Light Contact, 80kg – Silver<\/p>\n Karim Abu Khadra & Tareq Abu Khadra: 18+ Team Point Fighting Silver<\/p>\n Niki Tevely: Kick Light, 65kg – Bronze; Light Contact, 65kg – Bronze<\/p>\n Eric Tevely: Kick Light, 85kg – Bronze<\/p>\n Ty Hunter: Kick Light, 90kg – Bronze; Light Contact, 90kg – Bronze; Point Fighting, 90kg – Bronze<\/p>\n Molly Brawdy: Kick Light, 55kg – Bronze; Light Contact, 55kg – Bronze<\/p>\n Zeek Joseph: Light Contact, 90kg – Bronze<\/p>\n Athletes who also attended:<\/strong><\/p>\n Remington Raven<\/p>\n Leif Fielding<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Bulkley Valley athletes make up largest portion of Team Canada in Germany<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":130,"featured_media":159188,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-159177","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports","category-top-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n