Karate kids are world champs
ABROTHER and sister get very little trouble in the playground as they are both karate world champions and their mum is a black belt in the martial art.
Siblings Jennie and Daniel Trow, 15 and nine, from Marple, struck gold at the IKU World Karate Championships in Kilkenny, Ireland.
Both won gold for their respective age groups in the shito-ryu kata category, which is a non-combat form of karate and a solo display of technical skill.
And Jennie also claimed a bronze in her 14-15 age group in the kumite fighting category.
Mum Paula Trow, who is a second dan black belt and runs her own karate club, said: “Jennie and myself started training together nine years ago.
“She wanted to do it because a couple of her friends at school did and I thought rather than sit and watch for an hour and a half I’d join in.
“Then Daniel started on his fourth birthday and it went from strength to strength. There isn’t any rivalry between them, Jennie is also an instructor so will tell Daniel what he is doing wrong.
“She is very supportive of him and he listens and looks up to her.”
Jennie, a pupil at Marple Hall School, is also a second dan black belt while Daniel, who attends Rose Hill Primary, is one grade below black belt the highest he can be at his age.
Both attend Zenshin Karate Club in Urmston and train at Paula’s Jendan Marple Karate club in Brabyns Park.
The family live on Stockport Road, where dad Andrew, 50, is the only member who does not do karate.
But he is heavily involved as he watches every training session and competition as well as providing the transport there and back for them.
Paula said: “Our life revolves around training and Andrew is very supportive even though he doesn’t do karate himself.
“I’m a qualified referee so normally I don’t get to watch Jennie and Daniel but I did at the world championships.
“So it was new territory for me and my heart rate went through the roof and my nerves meant I could hardly breath. But to see them both on the podium was something else.”