The journey to the peak often starts at home.
It’s the spot where a comfort zone is, but also where the foundation was formed.
For Josipa Kafadar, the journey continues, but it has circled back to where it all began as the teenager aims to turn hometown advantage into a real asset.
Kafadar, 15, is part of the Canadian contingent who this week will be competing at the World Junior Taekwondo championships, held at the Bill Copeland Sports Complex.
A Burnaby native, Kafadar is eager to embrace the opportunity to step onto the international mat right in the city she has grown up.
“I’m definitely going to be nervous being in front of a home crowd,” Kafadar, who’ll be competing in the girls under-52-kilogram division, said. “I’m definitely going to feel pressure but I’ll do my best to represent my country, my school and all my family.”
Among the Canadian team, the only other B.C. representative is Coquitlam’s Santiago Herrera, 16.
While Kafadar’s position at the worlds was locked up last May at the nationals with a decisive win, the plan had been in place for quite some time. Having spent more than a decade in the sport, the Alpha Secondary student said pushing the envelope in sparring grew from those early beginnings.
“My start in taekwondo was at age four for my birthday,” she recalled. “My parents put me in to discipline me because I was a real energetic kid – they put me in hoping I’d get some energy out. It worked and they put me in sparring the next year. I just loved it and started competing.”
She quickly found that the fighting side – sparring – was where her interests were strongest.
“I do not do forms, I do not do patterns,” said Kafadar. “I use to but I never really like it that much because there’s always someone better than me. I found sparring better because I could actually beat up my opponent.”
That physical element made the competitive arena the place where, despite the resistance of each opponent, the 5-foot-8 fighter gained her footing.
Two weeks ago she was in Portland, Ore. for the Presidents Cup, kicking her way to a wildcard pass for next year’s nationals by topping the under-55kg division.
At the Burnaby-based Metro Taekwondo Studio under Master Jason Ruiter, the teen martial artist honed her battle skills, working up to a black belt about four years ago.
Ruiter says its discipline and courage which sets Kafadar apparent from many in her class.
“Josipa is aggressive and not afraid of taking risks, which has always made her stand apart from most other girls in the sport,” he said. “She has grown to become more patient and intuitive in her approach to fighting.”
She’s also gained knowledge from masters Daniel Thornton of Surrey and Michelle Ge of Maple Ridge, while taking the rare losses as a key learning experience. One of those losses came against someone who is slated to be in Burnaby this week.
“There is one American I fought this year that I almost beat, by one point, but she has more experience than me because she is older,” noted Kafadar. “It was a very good experience because I was leading 7-0 and then I made some not very wise decisions in that match. She does have more experience but I wouldn’t be surprised if I do go up against her and beat her this time.”
The process to this point has included patience, resilience and various injuries but the Burnaby teen was not pushed from her goal.
The doors along the way continued to open as Kafadar proved her mettle and applied her skills.
In 2015 she won gold at both the Canada Open and national championships, as well as a berth to the Pan American championships in Mexico. The latter experience gave her a glimpse into what this week’s tournament is all about.
“It was good. I did lose my first match by one point and I was disappointed, but it was a close one so I bet I can do better at worlds.”
She isn’t looking any further ahead now than her next match. Imagining the moment, with family and friends in the stands, will be an exciting moment.
“I have to visualize how it’s going to be in the ring before I get into it. It can’t just be spontaneous. It’s like a game of chess but like a mental game plus a physical game.”
The World Junior Taekwondo championships start today (Wednesday) and continue to Sunday, with matches beginning at 9 a.m. each day. Kafadar is scheduled to compete Friday, 1 p.m., with semifinal and finals slated between 5 and 8 p.m. For a full schedule visit burnabyjuniorchampionships.com.
