Fredericton karate star willing to wait for shot at Olympic dream
This story is part of a series on the impact of COVID-19 on New Brunswick athletes
Kate Campbell is willing to wait for another year to compete at the Olympics, even if it means putting her medical career on hold once again.
"It's definitely not been the 2020 I expected," said Campbell. "It's definitely another of delay with my consideration of applying for med school."
Campbell had planned on going to Tokyo in July for the 2020 Olympics, but the games were moved to 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The delay also means Campbell will be another year older when the games start.
"Obviously that looks a little different in terms of injury management and just general physical conditioning to remain active as an international competitor," said Campbell.
This isn't the first time Campbell has changed her career timeline because of the Olympics. When Campbell first started in karate when she was five, going to the Olympics wasn't even possible.
But in 2016, the International Olympic Committee announced karate would make the list of events in 2020, so Campbell made the decision to extend her career for a chance to go.
Hard work
Campbell said it was an easy decision to stay on the Olympic path. She's already put the time in and made the sacrifices.
"I've put a lot more time and energy into preparing for it so it's just a bump in the road and I'll get over it," said Campbell.
For Campbell, the hardest part of the pandemic has been not knowing what her schedule will be like over the next few months, and not knowing when she will be able to compete again.
"I'm kind of a pent up energy ball," said Campbell. "At this point I feel like my desire to compete and my desire to train is actually at a heightened state just because of the kind of lack there of that there's been over the last few months."
Campbell has still found ways to train. She's been running in parking lots and using water buckets as weights.
One chance
While karate was added for the 2020 Olympics, the sport has already been dropped from the Olympic roster going forward.
"It definitely makes it easy to focus on the goal because it is a one shot kind of deal, which makes the COVID stuff and managing training schedules and all that insignificant to the overall goal," said Campbell.
Campbell will still have to qualify for the Olympics when it happens in 2021. The qualification period was cut short because of the pandemic.
But she's ready for the challenge, even if it mean's that next phase of life has to wait. She has unfinished business to take care of.
"An extra six months of preparation in the big scheme of things is just an advantage in my eyes," said Campbell.
"Another year really is not a big deal when I look at the big picture. A medical career could have quit the length to it on the other side of things which is a chapter I look forward to opening but for the time being I'm just not done this one yet."
