As athletes prepare to head off to the PyeongChang 2018 Olympics, New Brunswick karate competitor Kate Campbell is aiming to be one of the first Canadian athletes to compete in karate at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
Tokyo 2020 will include new sports that weren’t at Rio 2016: baseball and softball are returning to the Olympics for the first time in 12 years, while skateboarding, surfing, karate and sport climbing will make their debut.
Campbell, 27, is beginning her journey to try and qualify for the games and is heading to Paris this week to compete in an event that could help her achieve her dream of competing in Tokyo.
The event in Paris is one of nine premier league events where Campbell will start accumulating points that will eventually determine which athletes head to the Olympics.
“Up until recently it wasn’t a possibility for me to even try out for the Olympics, so [it’s a] really exciting time to be a karate athlete, especially with its inclusion into the Olympic games in Tokyo,” Campbell said.
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Campbell’s parents signed her up for karate when she was six-years-old. She has since competed nationally and internationally, winning a silver medal in her weight class at the 2015 Toronto PanAm Games.
She said she can’t even describe to her what it would mean to be one of the first Canadians going to the Olympics to compete in karate.
“A few years ago, I ended up going to the PanAm Games and that even surprised myself , and I think the Olympics would just be that next level and I’ve attended a couple of the senior world championships and that in itself is an incredible experience, but to be able to make it to this level I think is every little girl’s dream,” Campbell said.
Campbell practices Chito-Ryu karate and is currently ranked 16 in the world in her 55 kg weight class.
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Campbell trains out of New Maryland, N.B. with other members of Karate New Brunswick, and was busy squeezing in her last training session on Sunday before heading to the airport Monday afternoon.
She said her role model on and off the mats is Brazilian multi-time world champion Douglas Brose.
Campbell said she considers herself to be “a bit of a trailblazer” and is proud to try and represent Canada, Atlantic Canada and New Brunswick.
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Karate New Brunswick head coach Randy Rix has been training Campbell since she was 16, and said he’s excited to see how far she’s come.
“The most amazing part about this is just seeing that transformation from provincial team…going to the nationals, winning at the nationals, going to the international tournaments and now she’s ranked 16th in the world and a hopeful for the Olympics, so it’s pretty exciting to see that whole thing unfold,” Rix said.
Hilary Pond is also on the women’s national team and trains with Campbell in New Maryland. Pond said she has always looked up to her.
“I’ve been training with Kate for a while now. She’s the one that inspired me to get competitive with karate,” Pond said. “I’ve been looking up to her since I was five-years-old, so it’s great to see her at this level now and I just give her all the support I can, so it’s just, it’s fantastic.”
Pond said it’s great to see the sport getting so much publicity because karate has been in the shadows. She said it’s wonderful to see Campbell trying to achieve her Olympic dream.
“She is the most hilarious person I’ve ever met. Always joking around, always laughing, extremely hard worker, probably also the hardest worker I’ve ever met, ” Pond said.
“The combination of those two are just, it makes for a great role model and a great person to be around, You can train extremely hard and still have fun at the same time with her. She’s full of laughs, full of positivity.”
While Campbell is supported by the national and provincial associations, Rix said a GoFund Me page was launched by Karate New Brunswick to help cover the costs of international travel associated with qualifications.
He said he wants Campbell to be able to focus on training and not worry about money.
“She’s probably looking at $20,000 to $25,000 worth of travel expenses,” Rix said.
Campbell said she’s very humbled by all the support and financial donations she has received.
“It does cost a lot of money in terms of all of this travel and I do have a lot of support coming from my national and provincial associations, but every little bit helps,” Campbell said. “I think the reason that it’s so special is that I’m seeing all of the support coming from, not only this area of the community, but also just a nation.”
Campbell said she trains four hours per day, with only a couple days off in a week.
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“Of course it’s not been easy, there’s always sacrifices with anything else and balancing and work and social life and sport,” Campbell said. “It’s definitely not for everybody, but somehow I’ve managed to do it hopefully somewhat successfully, so obviously if you love it, it’s worth it so I just keep on keeping on.”
In her personal life Campbell said it’s her long-term goal to go to medical school and become a pediatrician.
“She’s really an overachiever, Rix said. “I don’t think she sleeps much, but it really says a lot about who she is as a person and how hard of a worker she is. It’s really that grit and determination that gets you there, that you know puts you at the next level, separates a really good athlete from a great athlete.”
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