PHOEBE 10, Henry 10, Seb 12, Ben 13 and Jim 12 are a group of talented young athletes, members of the England Karate Federation Youth Squad who have been selected to compete at the Helsinki Open on August 18.

They have been competing nationally for the past few years and have won numerous medals between them. To be given the opportunity to represent their country at an international level is a huge step and something they have been striving for.

They have all been selected to compete in team kata alongside 2 other team members, Jim will also compete in the age 12 -13 individual event. As members of the England Youth Team these five have the chance of making the dream of becoming an international karate kata champion a reality!

Alongside their daily training schedule, the boys and Phoebe train regularly with Sensei James Scanlon at JS Karate Academy based in North Yorkshire. It’s here they have learnt many of the benefits of training in a martial; discipline, confidence, respect, self-defense, social interaction and physical fitness, all great life skills.

To succeed takes determination and commitment, and preparing for this high level of performance requires a lot of traveling to get together with fellow team members and train with national youth coaches James Scanlon and Christopher Karwacinski. This is the start of their careers working towards potential future Olympic representation.

Although karate is going to feature in the Olympic Games for the first time in Japan 2020, it is currently a self-funded sport and attending international competitions is expensive. Funds are needed to cover the cost of travel, training, accommodation, sports kit and competition entry fees.

If you would be interested in supporting these dedicated young karate champions to achieve their dreams, visit fivetofinland.com.