Andrea Anacan

When Andrea Anacan was just four years old, she made a monumental decision that would shape her life.

“My mum gave me the option between ballet or karate,” explains the now 29-year-old, who chose black belts over ballet shoes. Seems it was a good decision as the sport, which she initially took up to keep safe in case of attempted kidnapping while living in the Philippines, is taking her all the way to the Olympics.

After moving to New Zealand at the age of 12, Andrea considered quitting karate, but then she found her sensei, Johnny Ling, who she has been with ever since. It was him who convinced the athlete to switch from kumate, the fighting discipline of karate, to kata, the performance side, which is better suited to her small but powerful

4ft 11in (1.5 metres) stature.

Kata, which Andrea describes as the more artistic version of karate, involves detailed patterns of movement, performed at the same intensity as if she was fighting, to a group of judges.

She’s won a lengthy list of national titles and holds the best placing for a New Zealander on the global karate stage, finishing seventh at the Senior World Championships in Madrid in 2018.

When karate makes its debut at this year’s Olympics, no one will have a bigger smile than Andrea, who almost retired following major shoulder surgery but battled back thanks to her love for the sport.

“As a sporty kid, I always wanted to go to the Olympics, so for me to now have the potential to do so is pretty cool,” she says.