A 10-year-old girl of Indian-origin has won a gold medal and a bronze medal in two different events in Queensland State Karate Championship.
Weighting just 29 kg, Sharleen Sraon, won a gold medal in age 11, 39 kg weight category Kumite (fight). She won a bronze medal in Kata in children’s category.
By virtue of being the state champion in her weight category, Sharleen has now joined the Queensland state team and will begin training for the national championship. She is preparing to compete in three events in the national championship in the first week of August.
Sharleen Sraon performing a Kata. Source: Supplied
Her mother tells SBS Punjabi that Sharleen first tried Taekwondo when she was just three but didn’t like the sport.
“She always wanted to do something different, after she quit Taekwondo, she started doing Karate when she was 7 and at 9, she had a black belt,” said Mashika Sraon, Sharleen’s mother.
Her aim is to go to Olympics and compete around the world representing Australia. To fulfil that dream, Sharleen is training for three hours every day.
Sharleen with her aunt and uncle. Source: Supplied
“She trains five days a week at her club and now because she will be competing at the nationals, she is training with the state team over the weekends,” says Mashika.
Sharleen’s father is a doctor and her mother sacrificed her career as a business analyst to let their children follow their dreams.
Mashika says Sharleen is an inspiration for her younger brother, Sahil who is following into his sister’s footsteps.
A gold and a bronze medal Sharleen won at the Queensland State Karate Championship. Source: Supplied
Sharleen is also very fond of skydiving. Though the minimum age for skydiving in Australia is 12, her mother told SBS Punjabi that the Australian Parachute Federation granted a special approval for her.
“This Sunday she is skydiving at Kira beach Gold Coast. Again for skydiving minimum age is 12. She is only 10. I had to get special approval for her to skydive from parachute federation,” says Mashika.
“She believes age is just a number. Anything is possible. Just like the minimum age to get the black belt is 14. She got it at 9. She weighs 29kg but fights in under 39kg and still wins gold. She is a skinny Indian girl.”
Her other interests include snorkelling, skating, swimming and bungee jumping. And she is excellent at studies too.
