Hi, I’m Grace I’m a senior instructor here at Sono Karate and have been training in karate since I was 7. From having a low self confidence as a child, karate to me was my area to succeed. Probably like many of you, will or have done, I started training at my old primary school and fell in love with karate. Within the first few weeks, my dad, sister and mum started and it quickly became a significant part in our lives.
In 2014 my competitive karate started when I was selected for the JKS England kata and kumite teams. One year into competing and I was selected for my first JKS World championships in Glasgow where I won bronze in kumite, silver in individual kata, gold in team kumite and my proudest medal which was individual gold in Koten kata. The feeling of standing on the podium not just for myself but for my club and country is amazing! I was lucky enough to travel abroad to Berlin, Switzerland and in 2017 I went to Belgium for the JKS Europeans where I won a bronze in individual kumite, gold in team kata and finally my gold in individual kata. As I stood on the podium once again to receive my individual gold, my national anthem played, and I can still remember that overwhelming feeling and the pride behind it.
In 2019 my sister Izzy and I were fortunate enough to be selected to go to Dublin for the JKS World Championships, a first for her and a second for me. During the weekend I picked up a bronze individual medal and then a gold in team kata. We had worked so hard in the months leading up to it and I jumped for joy when we received the scores, the teamwork had paid off. After making the EKF national kata team in early 2020 my karate knowledge grew and grew and taking on the guidance from my coaches I believed I could be successful on the WKF stage. In December 2023, my sister and I competed in Venice, Italy at the K1 Youth League where I successfully became the first female shotokan athlete from England to make it through a kata round at a K1 event. We had made history. I didn't do this alone, sat in the coaches box was my dad, who has been my coach since day 1, and to go through the full experience of making this breakthrough is something I will never forget.
Coaching and teaching is a passion of mine which I have continued into my further education as a current undergraduate student at Edge Hill University studying Sports Coaching. I have had the opportunity to work alongside professionals in the field and even work on a placement as a strength and conditioner for Wigan Athletics FC academy to aspiring professional footballers and athletes. The feeling of seeing someone develop not just as a karateka but also a person is the most rewarding part as you know you have done your job and influenced someone’s life.
I hope you have had a small insight into my karate life and how those around me from my family, instructors, coaches, team-mates and teachers have impacted on my level of coaching. The opportunities I’ve had are unimaginable with being able to train in Japan, travel the world and pass on my knowledge to others is something I wouldn't of experienced if not for starting karate 12 years ago.