aria pascual
ATHLETE… COACH… INSPIRATION
Gill Sherry
Since first being introduced to karate at just four years old, Aria Pascual has never looked back. Now aged 24, she has an impressive collection of medals to her name, and already has one eye on the Japan Karate Shotorenmei (JKS) Word Championships in Brazil next year.
“It’s a kind of obsession,” she says, when I ask about her karate journey. “I’ve been doing karate for 20 years. I’m a 3rd Dan black belt. I’ll be going for my 4th Dan black belt next year. That’s what I aim to do.”
To be honest, any black belt sounds good to me! And Aria is certainly dedicated to her chosen discipline, as her recent achievements demonstrate.
“In Japan last year, where I attended the JKS World Championships, I won a silver and a bronze medal. I also won three golds and one silver at the JKS European Championships in Denmark, representing Scotland. I won gold at the British Four Nations Championships in Edinburgh in April, and then gold at the British Internationals in August.”
That’s quite a haul! But let’s not forget, Aria is part of the national Scottish karate team and has represented her country in Word Karate Federation (WKF) events at both Junior and Senior level. In fact, in the U21 category, she was ranked in the world’s top ten.
“Next year, the JKS Word Championships will be in Brazil. I am training hard in the hope to be selected, which would be a great honour.”
A former pupil at Ardrossan Academy, Aria went on to study sports science at the University of Stirling. She currently lives in Dunfermline where she continues to train to develop her competitive career, and where she’s also working to pursue a career as a karate coach. However, her roots remain in Ayrshire and she fully intends to return and to give back to the community which continues to support her.
“I have an on-line PT business, but I’ve also got my own karate club in Alva. I want to build my career as a karate coach and bring that back to the west of Scotland.”
Aria, it seems, is just as passionate about her hometown as she is about karate.
“I love my hometown, I truly do. I’ve never spoken bad of it because I think it’s really important to respect where you’re from and where your roots are. There’s a great sense of community in the Three Towns. I definitely have a lot of time for the area and for the local community.”
Although she can never see herself living anywhere other than Scotland, she does appreciate the travel opportunities that karate has provided.
“The opportunity to go and explore different countries and different cultures is really exciting. I travelled to Japan twice last year. It really is a special sport. I love travelling and I love being able to train and compete with other cultures… it’s an amazing opportunity.”
Other than the travel and the obvious pride of winning medals, what does she enjoy most about the sport?
“I’m just a big advocate for the values it teaches you…respect, persistence, effort, focus, determination. That’s why I love being an athlete and a coach. It’s just part of my life, it’s a true passion. It’s unique as well because you’re an individual but you’re also part of a team so there’s that sense of community. I’m very fortunate that I’m surrounded by a team of people… my family, friends, local community and karate club. I’m extremely grateful for their support. My gran, Marion, deserves a special mention, as does my mum who goes above and beyond for me always.”
Despite her growing success in the sport, Aria remains humble and is very appreciative of the support she continues to receive, taking time to thank the local gym, Freedom Fitness in Saltcoats, and her parents for their endless encouragement.
She also has some words of encouragement of her own for those who may be interested in taking up the sport.
“Karate teaches you really good physical skills, but the values it teaches you apply in any point in life, whether it’s a job or a relationship. If you put the effort in, you get the reward out.”
So, other than a 4th Dan black belt and the aim of being selected for the World Championships in Brazil, what else is Aria hoping to achieve? What’s her ultimate goal?
“To inspire. I like to inspire people from the Three Towns and youngsters that aren’t as fortunate, to put the effort in and work hard. If you do that with a goal in mind you are able to achieve it. What I’d like to achieve in my career as an athlete and a coach would be to help as many people as I can to start their karate journey. I just love helping people and making people the best they can be.”
Aria Pascual, it seems, is not just a top athlete, she’s a humble, thoughtful and thoroughly likeable young lady. She’s also an inspiration.
If you’re interested in taking up karate, you can contact Aria via email at ariapascual2012@gmail.com, by phone on 07546893284, or through her socials.
