Karate teen heads to championship for late brother

Carla will head to the championships with the memory of her brother, Luke

A teenager is hoping to return to the World Karate Championships, despite finding out her brother had died while she was competing in the same event last year.

Carla, from New Milton in Hampshire, was performing kata - a choreographed form of karate - in Venice last December.

While staying in the Italian city, the 17-year-old was told her brother, Luke, had passed away.

She said going back would be "difficult" but she wanted to "make him proud".

She started learning karate when she was four and began competing from age nine.

In 2022, Carla won the English Karate Championships, the British Karate Championships and the Commonwealth Karate Championships in her age category.

She currently holds the title of English champion, which she won again in 2023 and 2024.

"For the for the last few years, the gold medals have been quite consistent," she said.

Carla started learning karate when she was four and started to compete from nine

Carla said her love of karate was a "family thing", with her father, sister and brothers also keen on the sport.

"My brother [Luke] was always so supportive of what I do," she said, adding: "He would be the first person to be like 'wow, you're amazing'," she said.

Going back to Venice to compete in the Championships would be difficult after his death, she added.

"It's going to be hard, but I also need to push through it and know that he will be there with me.

"Before I compete, I always think 'I'm doing this for you'."

Currently, Carla competes alongside other 16 and 17-year-olds but will move to the under-21 category in January.

She trains for about 12 hours a week and is coached by her dad, who owns the karate school that she is based at.