Conrad earned a bronze medal in the Veteran Men's 35+ division and a gold medal in the Veteran Men's 48+ division!
Conrad’s journey into martial began as a young teenager. From a young age, he was fascinated with kung-fu movies and the physicality of martial arts as a defence method. Conrad’s journey with martial arts includes training in jiu-jitsu, white crane and karate.
He operates Bushi Martial Arts in Kirkland Lake, home of more than 20 competitors aged from 8 to 50 plus.
The pathway to world competition is extensive. Competitors must first compete at Provincials. Competitors placing in the top four at Provincials are invited to the Grand National Karate Championships. There, the top four competitors for each division are awarded a spot on Team Canada to represent our nation at the World Karate Championships.
“Since making Team Canada last May, I've challenged myself to increase various aspects of my training, researched my competitors, and developed cross-training methods to improve on power generation, endurance, balance, and speed. Many people were instrumental in helping me prepare. I had a physical trainer monitoring my objectives, exercises, technique and nutrition. I had manual therapists treating injuries and accelerating recovery and also monitoring my training routines. Many fellow martial artists from instructors to colleagues monitored my progress and suggesting place to improve in comparison to the competitors I was following. Many people made sacrifices to help me achieve my goal, primarily my wife, Jacinthe and family. Overall, what kept me positive and confident was the tremendous encouragement, confidence and support I received from the various communities close to me: my town, my dojo and martial arts connections, my workplace colleagues and administration, and my very, very large family.”
Conrad shares the power of community when taking on a significant challenge: “nobody is ever alone in an accomplishment of this magnitude. When that medal gets put around your neck, there is a whole family, team, community and support network that provided you with the tools, skills, motivation, and knowledge to get you there. You just had the job of putting in the work and giving it your absolute best effort. If you do that, you will have no regrets.”
Conrad shared the amazing welcome he received when he returned to Kirkland Lake District Composite School after the competition. Students and staff welcomed him back to school with posters and cheers! The entire school community shared pride in Conrad’s amazing accomplishments!