Indigo Berry is a trailblazer.
The 15-year-old is the first member of Kelowna's Rodney Hobson Karate Academy to qualify for the World Karate Federation U21 Junior & Cadet World Championships.
“We’ve had athletes represent us at the Pan-American Championships before, which Indigo did as well, but this is our first athlete that will be going to the world championships. So it’s very exciting for us,” said coach and academy founder Rodney Hobson.
Hobson calls the teen super-coachable.
“He doesn’t let the stress get to him too much when he’s in the ring. He’s pretty calm, pretty composed," Hobson said.
“He’s ultra-athletic. He’s a pleasure to have in the ring when I’m coaching him.
Indigo has been training at the Academy since he was six years old. He was born and raised in Rutland and joined the academy as part of the after-school program.
“We’re a high-performance training centre. People come from other cities and stuff to train with us and it’s great to have somebody like Indigo represent the sport so well and achieve the level he has,” adds Hobson.
He says several up-and-coming athletes are looking to Berry as their inspiration.
The Junior & Cadet World Championships are in Konya, Turkey, from October 26-30.
A Go Fund Me has been set up to help cover the Indigenous teen's expenses for his trip to Turkey and future competitions in Las Vegas and Quebec.
