Nor'West News: August 18, 2022

8
‘I will be in the sport
for a while – hopefully’
• From page 1
Aldridge beat South
Africa’s Roetz Renstia to
secure a gold medal for the
under-53kg junior kumite
female category. She also
snatched a bronze medal
for the kata individual female
junior and gold in the
junior under-53kg kumite
category in the following
World Goju Karate Championships.
Kumite, known as sparring,
means free-form
fighting between two
opponents using defensive
and offensive techniques.
The competitors can kick,
punch or takedown their
opponents as long as they
are staying in the 8m x 8m
mat. This is one of the three
main sections of karate.
In the following years,
Aldridge continued her
stunning form winning
multiple national and international
championships.
“I find that I get nervous
more for regional and
national tournaments than
the international tournaments,”
she said.
“It’s always a bit more
pressure having your teammates
and your national
coaches watching you.”
In spite of having osteoarthritis
since 18, this
160cm athlete still trains
every day before and after
work as a receptionist at a
law firm.
“For the past four years,
training has been very specific
of what I can and can
not do because some days,
it is hard to walk.”
However, she is grateful
of the support system
around her.
At the moment, her main
goal is to become world
champion.
“Now that Covid-19 has
finished, and I’m over the
age of 18, I can go to the
senior world championships.
“At the moment, I’m
looking at doing the three
SPIRITED: Aldridge will compete in the 10th
Commonwealth Karate Championships and
Commonwealth Club Championships, in
Birmingham.
world games,” Aldridge
said.
“So, I will be in the sport
for a while – hopefully.”
Like many other professional
karate athletes, she
is awaiting the decision to
be made on the 2028 Los
Angeles Olympics after
karate was left off the Paris
2024 programme.
She hopes to inspire more
people, especially young
females, to get involved
with the sport.
“Any small females or
young kids can look at me
and think ‘if she can do
that, I can do that’.”
Aldridge has set up
a Givealittle page to
fundraise for her trip to
Birmingham, which would
cost $3000.
“This trip is the most
costly of all previous years
with no funding at all and
juggling work, medical bills
for the injury and training
is becoming very difficult
with the short timeframe to
go,” she said.
Elisa Richnow, a good
friend of Aldridge, has
been holding a “secret fundraiser”
to help out with
the travel expenses.
“Britney is the most bubbly,
generous, caring, and
outgoing person.
“She is just like a ray of
sunshine,” she said.
Being a former New
Zealand gymnast, Richnow
understands the financial
strains of coaching, travel,
and medical expenses.
“So I just really wanted to
help out a good friend.”
So far, she has managed
to raise more than $200
from her baking fundraising.
“Some people just have
small orders but will give
an extra amount for donation.
“It has been amazing,
the amount of people who
placed orders or just wanted
to support the cause.”
Aldridge is one of nine
Cantabrian karate athletes
selected to represent New
Zealand in the 2022 Commonwealth
Karate Championships.
They include Melissa
Dunn, Tayla Davidson,
Olivia Lynch, Juliet
McLachlan, Reo Takeuchi,
Scarlett Gray, and Mia Desquitado.
Like Aldridge, her
teammates also have their
Givealittle pages.
The team is scheduled to
leave on September 1.
• For more information,
visit https://givealittle.
co.nz/cause/help-britget-to-comms
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