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HELP JADA GET TO JR. PAN AM's in ECUADOR!

Donation protected
Teen Karate sensation seek donations 

To get to Pan Am tournament in Ecuador
https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2019/07/05/teenage-brilliance-not-celebrated-often-enough.html

As she watched the kids sparring in the YMCA karate class at Sheppard and Bayview, 6-year-old Jada Barrett was struck what she describes as “the passion in the competitors’ eyes. 

“It seemed like they really enjoyed doing what they were doing. It attracted me. I was looking for something that I could be passionate about.” 

Already enrolled in swimming, Jada’s mom had a more practical goal. “I wanted to teach her to defend herself.”

Ten years later, Jada is one of the province’s Elite Karate athletes and is preparing to represent Canada in the Junior Pan American Karate Championships, Aug. 24-Sept. 3rd, in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

She won’t get there without a little help from the community to cover the approximately $8,000 in costs for what is an expensive sport, lacking in the kind of sponsorship and exposure of the high profile sports like basketball, soccer and hockey.

Her airfare, hotel, meals, uniform, training fees, personal training fees. Airfare and hotel for the trip to Ecuador is $4,200. Immunization fees alone top $800.

Karate is popular in Europe and South America but garners little attention in North America. There is little sponsorships for karate athletes and little press coverage of their achievements. 

It’s an expensive sport. It’s not one that everyone sees on TV. It’s not a glory sport, not in schools, and not something that kids gravitate to. But it’s a very athletic sport, and Jada is  good at it.

Jada is Shotokan Karate-do International Federation Athlete of the Year for 2019. She won a silver medal in the National Karate Competition in Edmonton, Alberta earlier this year.. 

Jada recently won a Gold Medal at the OKF Toronto Open in Brampton, Ontario last month, and is ranked #1 in the Elite Junior 16/17 -53kgs Division. 

What started out as an exercise in self-defense has yielded many side benefits, headed by self-confidence, poise, discipline. And has Jada ever needed to use her karate skills to defend herself?

“I’ve never needed to,” said the honor roll student at Oakville’s Trafalgar High School.  Because I have been doing it for so long, I gained confidence and respect for myself. Other people respect me. They know not to mess with me because of my strong personality. I don’t have to flex. Through your confidence burns inner strength. Because I am so confident people can see that I have inner strength.”

Asked why people should donate to the fund set up to finance the trip to Ecuador, Jada said:

“Many other wonderful, talented athletes and teachers have invested so much time in molding me into the competitor I have become. All that invested time would go to waste if I am unable to go.”

Let's help Jada get to the Jr. Pan American Games!

Organizer

Pamela Lynn Barrett
Organizer
Oakville, ON

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