Four STK students qualify for world championships
- Jun 3
- 3 min read
By Spencer Seymour
Sensei Jalyne Lorentz, Fox Houston, Lisa Sheldon and Shannon Campbell of Stonetown Karate (STK) have qualified to compete in the World Karate Commission (WKC) World Championships to be held Oct. 24-30 in Chiclana, Cadiz, Spain, after strong performances at the Team Canada National tryouts in Ottawa May 14-16.
The top four competitors in each event qualified for the national team. Beginning with Campbell, she finished in second place in the Point Sparring event in the 48+ Women’s division.
Lorentz, who competed in the 18+ Women’s division, finished in the top four in five competitions, including classical forms and hardstyle forms, both of which she came in second place. Lorentz also placed third in traditional weapons and creative weapons, as well as taking fourth in kenpo.
Lorentz described her excitement about returning to the world stage, adding how she feels she has improved since being at the worlds last year.
“Making Team Canada is always an exciting achievement,” said Lorentz. “I’ve been fortunate to be on the team for several years now and each year, my goal is to be better than I was before. Winning is great, but seeing my own growth and improvement year after year means even more to me. Leading up to provincials and the national tryouts, I focused on building my strength, power and overall performance presence. I balanced both technical training and strength work, which helped me feel more complete as an athlete. Compared to last year, I feel stronger, more confident and more consistent in my performances.”
In addition to vying for her spot on the Canadian national team, Lorentz also noted the chance to run a kata seminar was a special part of her experience at the national tryouts.
“One of the highlights for me was being invited by the national championships to run a kata seminar,” Lorentz said. “It was an exciting opportunity and getting to spend several hours the night before the competition working closely with athletes to refine their individual performances made it even more meaningful and rewarding.”
Houston earned a pair of world-championship qualifications in the 14-15-year-old boys’ division, placing third in both classical forms and hardstyle forms.
According to Houston, competing internationally is a daunting but exciting test of his abilities.
“I’m excited for new opportunities and to practice hard to get better every day. For the world championship, I want to improve on my stage presence in the ring to enhance my performance overall. Having other high-level athletes around me is definitely intimidating at first, seeing everybody’s great performances. It’s a good reminder that you need to focus on yourself to have the best outcome.”
In the 35+ women’s division, Sheldon placed first in the continuous light contact sparring competition. Sheldon also took first in the same event in the 42+ women’s bracket, the same division in which she added a third-place finish in point sparring.
Sheldon told the Independent the environment of the national team is motivational to those participating to grow and become even greater.
“I am incredibly excited and honoured to represent Canada at the WKC World Championships. I am looking forward to competing against some of the best athletes from around the world while representing my country. I will continue working on speed. At this level, small improvements can make a big difference, so I am focusing on sharpening my techniques, improving my conditioning and making sure I am mentally prepared to perform at my best.
“Being surrounded by other high-level athletes pushed me to raise my own standards and perform at my best,” Sheldon continued. “Competing alongside talented athletes creates a positive and motivating environment where everyone challenges each other to improve. It helped me stay focused, work harder and gain confidence in my abilities.”
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