Navan woman targets Tokyo

Yesterday morning (Wednesday 9th June) Justyne Collins boarded a flight for Paris.

The Navan woman, who teaches in Scoil Eoin Baiste, Nobber, was heading to the French capital for a qualifying competition that could secure her a place in the forthcoming Olympic Games in Japan.

Her qualifier will take place on Sunday and will involve contestants from countries around Europe with a large number of contestents in her category.

Collins will be participating in the women's kumite (karate) fighting section.

In each section there are three weight divisions u-55kg, u-61kg and o-61kg and only three contestants in each division will earn a ticket to Tokyo

It's a very tall order indeed to qualify, but as she pointed out to the Meath Chronicle last Thursday she is going to the French capital with every intention of making the cut.

"I'm going out there believing there's every possibility I'm going to win, I have as good a chance to qualify as anybody," she told the Meath Chronicle.

"This is the first time karate is included as one of the sports in the Olympics.

"Some people will have already qualified but this is my last shot at it and I'm going to give it my all."

Last Friday students and teachers in Scoil Baista staged a 'Green Day' as a way of giving Miss Collins a right Royal County send off before she put the finishing touches to her preparations and headed to the French capital.

Collins grew up immersed in karate. Her father Ronan and mother Jennifer run the Navan Kenpo Karate Club while her brothers Ruaidhri and Cormac are also involved in the sport.

Justyne has competed in competitions in various parts of Europe and she won the Irish Open women's kumite title in 2019 and was selected for qualifying for the Olympics.

"I was selected by our organisation the Official National Amateur Karate Association of Ireland (ONAKAI) for these qualifiers and myself and six other competitors will be travelling to the Olympic qualifiers," she explained.

For some months now Justyne has been travelling to Dublin to train with her coaches Paul Brennan and Eamonn Pegley.

"We train most evenings, I go home from school, have dinner then I'm on the road to training in Dublin," she explained.

"If I'm not doing that I will do my own bit at home, sometimes with my brothers.

"I'm so long doing karate at this stage I can't imagine not having karate in my life, it is a part of who I am at this stage, I love it," she added.