Help my girl to the chop

Sep 18 2008 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

Help my girl to the chop

AN Uddingston mum this week spoke of her pride that teenage daughter Emma is representing Scotland in shotokan karate.

But Ann Boyle also made an appeal for local businesses to help out with costs as the 19-year-old chases medal glory around Europe.

Former Uddingston Grammar pupil Emma, who is studying coaching and leisure development at Glasgow College of Nautical Studies, has already been in Italy and Turkey with the Scotland squad, and is heading for a five-nation international in France in a fortnight, before setting off for Belgium a month later.

And she will do so as British champion, having taken the British Karate Federation 18-20 under-60k title in Sheffield recently, where she also took bronze in the senior event.

Mum Ann (46), said: “We’re over the moon, we’re delighted – Emma trains hard, works hard, and when she won the British Championship last week we were so pleased for her.

“She got picked for the Scotland squad about four months ago, which was just an amazing achievement.

“Emma was over the moon, but also surprised, a bit taken aback, and a bit worried – but she went out, did her best and did really well.

“She’s won one gold medal with the Scotland squad in a team event, so we’re delighted for her and can’t ask for her to work any harder – she already trains four times a week sometimes!”

Emma has been with Yamakai Shotokan club under the auspices of chief instructor Jim Ross and coaches John Watta and Robert McGurk for over a decade.

Ann explained: “Emma just came in from school one day, asked if she could go to karate, and she’s never looked back.

“She’s been doing it for about 10 or 11 years, and she’s coming up on 20.

“It costs a fortune though, because we’ve got flights and accommodation to pay, plus the fact that you’ve got to pay to enter the competitions – it’s £10-15 for each event, and she often takes part in her own category, senior and team events.

“And we’ve got to pay as spectators as well, so it starts to add up.

“It would be great if anybody would be interested in sponsoring her.”

Yamakai has branches across South Lanarkshire, with classes at Uddingston Community Hall on Mondays and Thursdays from 6pm-8pm, and Chapelton Community Hall on Wednesdays from 7pm-8pm and Sunday from 10.30am-12.30pm.

Anybody who would like to sponsor Emma is urged to contact chief instructor Jim Ross on 01698 421790.