Cheshire's Grace Leigh Wins Gold at World Karate Championship
Grace Leigh, a 10-year-old from Winterley, has achieved gold in kata at the WUKF Karate World Championships.
By Cheshire Live
Grace Leigh, a 10-year-old karate competitor from Winterley, has won a gold medal in her age division for kata at the WUKF Karate World Championships held in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, this summer. Grace, who began her karate journey at the age of six, is a member of Cheshire Martial Arts Club and trains in Warrington.
Following her victory, Grace is already back in training and is preparing for the upcoming WUKF European Championships, scheduled to take place in Sheffield in October. Her mother, Amanda Leigh, expressed immense pride in Grace's achievement, noting the dedication and hard work she has shown since starting karate in 2022. Amanda shared that Grace competed against children from various countries, including Romania, Mexico, and Peru.
Amanda remarked on Grace's excitement about her win, highlighting that she previously secured a silver medal in European competitions. "She trains all the time and intends to carry on doing it," Amanda said, adding that Grace hopes to see karate return to the Olympics in the future.
Grace's head coach, Hanshi Paul Graham, praised her commitment, stating, "Grace has put in 100% in the run-up to this competition, showing great dedication for somebody of her age. She totally deserves this accolade, and I look forward to seeing what she achieves in the future."