These 8 young Ottawa athletes are headed to a national karate championship in B.C.

Eight young athletes from the capital are headed to the National Karate Championships in British Columbia. CTV’s Peter Szperling reports.

Participants from across Canada will be competing at this year’s National Karate Championships in British Columbia – among them, eight athletes from Ottawa.

“I’m very excited,” said 12-year-old Addie Singh, who will be competing along with her 14-year-old brother Evan Singh. “Hopefully I could win,” he said.

Competing as part of the Ontario team, all eight Ottawa participants are members of 6Tigers Academy in Manotick.

“It’s a very big annual event. And we are really delighted that we have eight athletes that have qualified to attend,” said 6Tigers academy owner Janet Lawless. “Each province has their own requirements. For our athletes, they have had to do very well in four qualifying tournaments in the Toronto area, usually, and finish in the top of their division.”

Ending up at a competition like this is rare.

“It’s pretty special. I mean, there are literally tens of thousands, if not 100,000 students across Canada that that do karate. And so, to have our kids, make the nationals and be part of a team from Ontario of 160 athletes, about 500 nationally,” said Lawless.

“I’m ready. I do feel ready,” said 13-year-old Hayden Skerkowski, who is heading to the national competition for a third time. “If I can make it twice now, the third time is definitely good.”

Ninteen-year-old athlete Austin Harvey will be competing in para-karate at the event. “Very excited,” he says using sign language interpreted by his mother Christine Harvey.

“I love to see him go to these competitions because, unfortunately, there’s not a lot that he fits into. And when we started with this dojo, they were really accepting and welcoming,” she said.

It’s Harvey’s third time competing in the nationals. In 2024, he took home a gold and a silver medal.

“He’s a national champion,” said Lawless. “It’s important for us that Austin is fully included in this goal and so, our warrior’s code, we had translated into sign language. And then the children learned that sign as part of their training.”

Karate can be fun, but it is also hard work that requires dedication.

“A lot of work. I’ve been practicing a lot during nationals and during the regular training season. During tournaments, I’m also really dedicated, and I focus a lot on my training and I do train a lot,” said Skerkowski.

Coach Mahdi Mahnani says athletes train 13 to 14 hours over six days per week to get ready for this national competition, and it takes “physical preparations, mental preparation techniques and plans and strategies and behavior inside the karate classes and champion mindset outside the class.”

“They practically live here. And they are really amazing listeners and they’re fantastic at taking feedback. So, when their coach has something to say or a correction to make, they absorb it and get to work,” said Lawless.

The 2025 National Championships are taking place in Richmond, B.C., April 3 to 6.