Challenge Rive-Nord was our first tournament of the year, and we descended on Ste-Thérèse determined to put our hard training to the test.

It worked. Our competitors were excellent, our senior team members helped the younger ones with admirable efficiency (they texted each other to make sure all the rings where we had someone competing were covered; who said teenagers weren’t organized?), and our parents as usual did a wonderful job cheering everyone on and looking after each other’s kids. Karate is about a lot more than kicking and punching, and our team spirit is something we’re all very proud of.

Highlights of Team Douvris at the Challenge Rive Nord

And then there’s the medals.

 Junior underbelt divisions:

Hana Sakamoto: bronze in traditional kata

Kimberley Hopkins: silver in traditional kata, silver in point sparring

Alejandro Miguelez: silver in traditional weapons, silver in continuous sparring, fourth in traditional kata

Isaiah Lang: silver in in traditional kata, bronze in point fighting, and bronze in team fighting

Payton Rudder: bronze in point sparring, fourth in team fighting

William Carr: gold in traditional kata, bronze in team fighting

Sophia Tougas: fourth in traditional kata

Éloïse Kuelz: silver in traditional kata, bronze in point sparring

Katarina Tessier: gold in freestyle kata, bronze in traditional kata

Junior black belt divisions:

Bronwyn Foote: silver in point sparring

Justine Sénéchal: silver in point sparring

David Patenaude: silver in team fighting

Sébastien Bélanger: silver in point sparring, silver in team fighting

Niko Couture: gold in point sparring

Megan Bowman, fourth in classical kata

Michele Lorusso: gold in team fighting

Nico Campagna: gold in team fighting, bronze in point sparring

Patrick Gourde: gold in continuous sparring, gold in team fighting, bronze in point sparring

Malik Thomas: gold in team fighting, bronze in traditional kata, bronze in traditional weapons, fourth in point sparring

Robbie Hughes: gold in creative weapons

Adult underbelt divisions:

Shawn Tougas: fourth in traditional kata

Adult black belt divisions:

Subhadra Shrestha: gold in classical kata, silver in traditional kata

Martina Couture: silver in point sparring

Ben Clarke: gold in traditional kata, bronze in weapons

Brigitte Pellerin: fourth in traditional kata

 Big thanks to Eric Vidricaire for organizing this tournament.