Sport
9 June, 2022
Two podium finishes for Cole in Noumea
TERANG karate sensei Jill Cole achieved exceptional results at the Oceania Karate Cup in Noumea last weekend, picking up podium finishes in both the veterans’ kata (forms) event and the veterans’ kumite (sparring).
TERANG karate sensei Jill Cole achieved exceptional results at the Oceania Karate Cup in Noumea last weekend, picking up podium finishes in both the veterans’ kata (forms) event and the veterans’ kumite (sparring).
Cole finished third in each discipline in what Funakoshi Karate head coach Peter Conroy described as “exceptional” and “legendary”.
“Funakoshi karate’s been established here in Australia for 27 years, and in that time she’s only the second to get to the Oceanics, and she’s the only person ever to end up on the podium in both disciplines,” Conroy said.
“You tend to find that people love one and they’ll just sort of do the other, so for her to end up on the podium for both kata and kumite, that’s legendary stuff.”
Cole said she had an “amazing” experience and never thought her karate journey would take her this far.
“It was very, very exciting. There was a very high calibre in all the age groups,” she said.
“A girl from New Zealand who was in the Olympics recently was there, obviously she won, but it was just really good to watch."
“Competition wasn’t even in my mind when I first started, it was just to train with the kids and keep fit."
“It’s sort of gone out of control from there. It’s a bit like an obsession now.”
International competitions like the Oceanic Cup are the highest level of competition for veterans, and Cole said she was proud to have realised an achievement such as this.
“This is about as high as I can really go, so I’m very pleased, after 13 years of training, to be able to do this,” she said.
Cole thanked her senseis and coaches, as well as her family for supporting her on her journey.
“I’d definitely like to thank sensei Peter Conroy, sensei Wendy Delaney, who also trains and teaches locally,” she said.
“And then we’ve got sensei Frank McKenzie, head coach of Australia, he’s from Warrnambool."
“And I wouldn’t have been able to do this without the multiple coaches from the Victorian and Australian teams, and of course my family.”
Cole encouraged anyone who had ever considered trying karate, regardless of age or experience, to come down to the Terang dojo and give it a try.
“It’s great in terms of achieving goals, and if anyone wants to do it I’m more than willing to help them along and show them what to do.”