In an extraordinary achievement, two athletes from Lismore have qualified to represent Australia at the Senior World Championships of the World Karate Federation, to be held in Cairo later this year.
Krystal Boyce and Reece Prior both train at the Miyagi Kan Karate Dojo in Lismore, under the guidance of instructor Dean Marshall, who told The Echo that the World Karate Championships is an elite, Olympic-endorsed event which is limited to the top 32 competitors in the world.
‘Only continental champions are eligible. Earlier this year, both of our athletes won their respective continental titles, securing their spots. Remarkably, they are the first athletes from our region to be selected in 23 years,’ said Mr Marshall.
‘Even more inspiring — one is a female athlete and the other is an athlete with a disability. Their stories are powerful examples of perseverance, strength, and the unifying spirit of sport.’
Like the rest of the community, Miyagi Kan Lismore was heavily impacted by the catastrophic 2022 floods, relocating to the local gymnastics centre. The karate club also has a philanthropic aspect, raising funds to support local families and organisations such as Friends of the Koala.
‘We’re doing very positive things all the time,’ said Mr Marshall.
He says there are now over 200 students, from young children up to people in their 60s. Two other members of the club are currently competing in the Asian Championships.
Mr Marshall says Krystal Boyce is one of the most successful students he has trained, and is also a role model and teacher to other students.
Before Cairo, she will be going to compete in the European karate competition tour as part of her preparations for the World Championships.
Ms Boyce told The Echo she originally got into karate because her brother was doing it, and she got jealous. ‘He ended up quitting, and I just kept going. It’s been my whole life, basically, since I was 10.’
She says she will carry the dedication and other life skills she’s acquired from the sport throughout her life, with her big goal being the Olympics, when karate returns to that competition, hopefully in time for Brisbane.
So what’s Lismore’s secret?
‘The coaches are the secret,’ says Ms Boyce. ‘It’s not just about teaching you karate. They help you with fundraising, they help you get to the tournament. They deal with all your emotions, the nerves, you know, getting upset…
‘There’s a lot that goes behind it, and you have to really be a committed coach to have athletes performing at this level.’
She is currently training five times a week, which sounds like a lot, even for a serious competitor.
Her instructor Dean Marshall has himself represented Australia as a karate fighter in the past, and says he first got into the martial art the age of five.
‘Bruce Lee was the man for me,’ he remembers. ‘I saw him, wanted to do it, got into it. I’m 48 now, so 43 years ago I fell in love with it, and I’ve been doing it every day since.
‘The big part of karate is definitely using your body to be able to defend yourself, that’s the core principle of karate,’ he said. ‘You’re going to get stronger, healthier, fitter and more flexible through participating in this art.’
Although video is available these days, Krystal Boyce says she doesn’t like to study her opponents too much before she fights them. ‘I like to just walk on the mat and say, “That’s just another human”. It doesn’t matter what they’ve done or what their results are.’
Fourth degree black belt
Dean Marshall says Reece Prior will be representing Australia in the para division.
‘Rhys is amazing. He’s been training for 20 years. He’s a fourth degree black belt. He’s Australian open champion, continental champion and has been selected now to go to the world championships.
‘In many countries it’s possible to be a professional karate fighter, but Australia doesn’t have that,’ said Mr Marshall.
‘Okay, so these guys are a little bit behind the eight ball when it comes to that. But given that and given our geographical location, we certainly punch well above our weight in these bigger championships.’
Like Krystal Boyce, Reece Prior says he followed his brother into karate. He told The Echo he’s looking forward to the opportunity to go overseas to represent Australia.
Mr Marshall says Mr Prior has also done very well competing in the traditional divisions. ‘It makes me very proud to see the diversity of our dojo,’ he said.
For those curious to see what happens in Cairo in November, Dean Marshall says the World Championships will be streamed via YouTube, with a link from the club’s Facebook page.
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