A small but mighty contingent of Kelowna Judo Club members made their presence felt last weekend at the Canada West Invitational in Burnaby.
Caine McCabe, 14, Sloane Betker, 9, and her younger sister, Peyton Betker, 7, all won silver medals at the tournament, while Brandon Leatherdale, 16, fought to a fourth-place finish.
Among the weekend’s highlights was Sarah Clarke’s gold medal win.
The nine-year-old performed a beautiful Ippon throw on her opponent—a boy of her age—in the first 10 seconds of the match.
“It was all very exciting to watch and coach these fierce competitors, they showed so much heart,” said Kelowna Judo Club coach Kathy Hubble.
“They demonstrated the spirit of strength under pressure, and even though they all didn’t win gold, each one of them took away a lot of wisdom about their fighting.
“They were most impressive with their sportsmanlike conduct, and I couldn’t be prouder.”
Next up for Kelowna Judo Club members is the local Okanagan Open in February, before they begin training for the Canadian Championships in May.