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Students Set for National Karate Championships

Sofia & Melina Gotsis with their gold medals

Sofia Gotsis, Melina Gotsis and Sophia De Vita are karatekas, which means they are practitioners of karate.

Sofia (Year 9) and her young sister Melina (Year 7) recently competed in a state tournament, where they had the remarkable result of each receiving double gold medals.  

Both girls won the gold medal for Kata. Melina competed in under 14s, and Sofia in the under 16s. The girls also won the gold medal for Kumite. Melina again in the under 14s – 47kg category and Sofia in the under 16s +53kg category. “It was a very special moment as we have never won double gold at the same time as each other.”, said Sofia.

In karate, there are two main events, Kata and Kumite. Kata is a set of arranged movements stringed together into a performance you do individually. Kumite is where you fight against an opponent to score points.

Melina and Sofia’s interest in karate stemmed from their father, who has been doing karate since the 1990s.

Sofia said, “I started at my uncle’s club, and I have been in love with it ever since. I am inspired by so many things in karate, but someone who truly inspires me is five-time Kumite world champion Rafael Aghayev. I look up to him so much. The way he fights truly inspires me to become the best karateka I can be.

“I love everything about karate! I love that I can be taught such a graceful art, but karate is so much more than that. I love that my club is a family. Every person that I train with pushes me to be the best athlete I can be, and there is no other place where I feel as safe, as happy and at home as I do at training.” said Sofia.

Melina added, “As soon as I started, I fell in love with the sport, and I have been doing it since I was five. I love getting to meet new people and the great sportsmanship. It’s great fun, and you get to learn some new abilities.”

Sofia and Melina have been selected to compete at the National Karate Championships in Rockhampton in August.

Also selected for the state team and competing in Rockhampton is Sophie De Vita (Year 9). Sophie started dancing at the age of three, but after seven years, she wanted to try something new. She said the movie Karate Kid sparked her interest in the sport. And the rest, as they say, is history. Sophie loves the camaraderie of karate and is excited about the National Championships.

We look forward to hearing how Sofia, Melina and Sophie go at the National Championships, and we wish them all the best. Good luck, girls!

What A Term! So Many Opportunities – Jennifer Oaten

As I look back on the past nine weeks, I am so grateful for who we are as a community and what we have achieved. Through the dedication of our staff and the enthusiasm of our students, we have established new connections, immersed ourselves in opportunities and worked through challenges.

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