Star: Martial art boosts fitness and confidence
High karate: World No.1 on her sport’s surging popularity and why all young girls should learn to love teenage kicks
Niamh, centre, with mum Lesley-anne, brothers Arran and Aidan and dad Dougie at her black belt grading in 2015
such a full-body workout. You’re learning a bit of self-defence as well. It’s great, especially for younger ones after Covid.
“A lot of them will have missed all their hobbies but there’ll be opportunities to try something new and it’s definitely something they should have a go at.
“That’s where everyone starts, all the world champions, just coming along and throwing a kick or a punch.”
Niamh, from Barrhead, East Renfrewshire, said it was “mind-blowing” to emulate her heroes by reaching the heights of a sport she took up aged eight.
“I never thought when I started competing that I’d reach world number one,” she said. “When it actually happened, it was just a ‘wow’ moment; I’d idolised everybody who was number one for years. The fact that I’m now actually here is unbelievable.”
Reaching the top has been a long and tough journey. Always sporty, Niamh had tried everything from dancing to swimming, hockey and football. Her younger brother had taken up karate, but she preferred to stand at the side and watch. Eventually, though, she decided to give it a go and hasn’t looked back since.
“I was rubbish when I started! I couldn’t really kick or punch,” she recalled. “When I started training to fight and compete and started to do well, my love just grew and grew for it.”
Niamh joined the highly respected Shitokai Karate Club in Renfrew aged 13. In 2019, she won a bronze medal at the World Championships in Chile and last year claimed silver at the European Continental Championships in Hungary.
“I decided to go for it and chase that number one spot,” she said. “It was doable. I got to the final in Hungary, beating the world champion in the semi-final.
“When the points came back from the championships, I was number one. It’s been a long time coming and a lot of defeats, ups and downs to get there. It’s been a progression, definitely not an overnight thing.”
Before Covid, Niamh was training six or seven times a week in the run up to the championships. “I’d have normal training during the week anda on a Saturday and then nationnal team training with the Scotlandd squad at the weekend,” she said..
“Some days I was trainiing twice a day, gym sessions as welll as karate sessions. It was verry full-on but that’s what neeeded to be done in order to compete at the highest level.”
Just as she idolised her predecessors, Niamh noww hopes to become a role model foor a younger generation.
Now studying anatomyy at Glasgow University, she hopesh to help inspire girls to followw their aspirations and have faithh in their abilities to achieve them.
“When you look at karaate, you think of Karate Kid and guuys fighting and sparring, butt it’s really good to try to prommote it to younger girls,” she explainned.
“With things like body imagei and everything, it’s just abbout having a bit more confideence in themselves, to be indepenndent and have a bit more belieff. That’s probably the biggesst thing I’ve got from karate – my self-confidence and that beliefb that you can do anything you set your mind to.”
Niamh points to countlless physical and mental healtth benefits. Growing up, karaate helped her switch off fromm exams and focus on something other than schoolwork.
“It was such a release,” she said. “If I was ever annoyed about something, I could take out my anger. It was always something I could look forward to, no matter what happened or if I was stressed, I knew it was a safe place to go to express myself, enjoy it and get better at it.”
The pandemic came at an unfortunate time for Niamh’s career, but she’s determined to keep the momentum going, as soon as restrictions allow her to return to the dojo.
“I was on such a roll from Chile and Hungary,” she said. “The week we went into lockdown I was meant to fly to Azerbaijan to compete in the senior European Championships but they were cancelled.
“2020 was supposed to be one of the best years of my career, the way it started off, so it was a big knock-back to not get any of it. But becoming number one turned my year on its head a bit.”
The European Championships scheduled for May are touch and go, but Niamh hopes to compete in August at the under-21s event. After thatt the goal is the senior World Chhampionships, due to be held inn Dubai in November. Niammh said: “There have been no coompetitions for over a year so it’’s just about trying to get back on too the competition scene and get too go abroad and compete again.””
Niamh hailedd her parents, who are both black-beltsb themselves, for their unstintting support.
“I wouldn’t bee where I am without my mumm and dad,” she said. “Beforee I could drive, they were takingg me everywhere for training and competitions. They’re also my financial backers right now. I haveh a part-time job but thhe competitions and traavel are so frequuent.
“Withoutw them I defiinitely wouldn’t be ablee to firstly go but to allso win. They’re so supportive, there were times I’d say I was quittingg after a really bad sessioon or couldn’t be bothered buut they’d always encourage mme to go. “Looking baack now to when I was 14, 15 theyy were such an influence on myy career. I can now do it mysellf because I’ve learned how to, but back then without them I don’td think I’d still be doing kaarate. I’d probably have chucked itt and tried something else.”
William Zabka in Cobra Kai