A pair of Caymanians recently competed at the World Karate Federation Senior World Championships at the Papp László Sportaréna in Budapest, Hungary.
Nick Young and Sarah Hydes put their years of practice under Shihan Greg Reid at Cayman Associated School of Karate into play against the world’s best karatekas – an experience both said they have learned a great deal from.
“This is the biggest tournament that we’ve ever been to in our lives,” Young told the Compass, noting that this was only the second time Cayman had been represented at the championships.
Young, in the Male Kata Division, scored 34.4, while Hydes scored 30.4 in the Kata Female Division. Neither advanced from the first round. However, it wasn’t the results that mattered for the two athletes getting their first crack at that level.
“Our goal as athletes is going to events like this, being such a new programme and heavily in development; we are nothing near the top competitors,” Young said, noting that the Cayman programme has only been around about four years. “We are really going there to gauge how well we can do, and it was amazing.”
While they understand where they stand among the world’s best, their choice of sport isn’t something they take lightly.
Hydes, who said she was considered a “quiet church mouse” before she got into karate, has now changed, becoming more confident and courageous – something she owes to the sport and those she considers family within the dojo confines.
She recently resigned from her 9-to-5 job, and now runs a full junior karate school class, all while pursuing competitive karate full time, noting that the sport means everything to her.
“For me, karate is life,” Hydes said. “It’s not just a sport, or an activity, it is life. To compete overseas is tremendous and a weight that I hold on my shoulders because we are the foundation and the kids are the future.”
Hydes and Young continue to set the standard for other Caymanians in the sport, having competed at last year’s Commonwealth Games, the 2023 PKF Pan American championships, the Caribbean karate tournament in the Dominican Republic and now the World Championships – all within the last 18 months.
Cayman was one of four Caribbean nations represented at this year’s World Championships – a historic minority Hydes and Young can boast they were a part of.
“If we don’t take the first step, then who will take the first step to show the generations coming behind us?” Hydes said. “I take this very seriously. I want to be a role model for the young girls on island to look up to, along with the girls with me at CASK.”
One person under the Cayman Islands National Karate-Do Association who will be able to help assist with the generations coming up is Patrick Brendel, who is now a World Karate Federation-certified coach, following his final exams while in Budapest.
Hydes and Young are encouraging more people to join in the world of karate in Cayman, noting that it doesn’t matter how old you are.
“We welcome everyone, male, female, young, old; karate is for everyone,” Hydes said. “It builds on your physical, mental and spiritual – the growth is unbelievable.”
Both Hydes and Young said that they have seen tremendous growth in themselves when looking back at where they were two years ago, but admitted that they have much more to improve on, and they’ll be looking to do just that with the help of Brendel before March 2024 – when they’ll compete again.
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