"I wanted to fight like Ninja Turtles"
Alisa Buchinger shares her story about why she started practicing karate in the World Karate Cast.
What drives a child to eventually conquer the world stage? For Austrian karate icon Alisa Buchinger, the journey to becoming a 2016 World Champion started with an unexpected group of heroes: the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Speaking on the World Karate Cast by the World Karate Federation (WKF), Buchinger looked back at the spark behind her competitive journey. When asked if the sport's competitive side or the discipline itself first drew her in, Buchinger revealed her five-year-old self had a completely different motivation.
Female Kumite -68kg podium at the 2016 World Karate Championships in Linz, Austria.
Katrina Pedersen (DEN) - Alisa Buchinger (AUT) - Ivona Cavar (BIH) - Marina Rakovic (MKD)
"When I was 5 years old, I... I really liked to watch the Ninja Turtles, and this is why I started karate, because I wanted to fight like the Ninja Turtles."
Her parents quickly found a club and signed her up. The cartoon-inspired fun rapidly evolved into a lifelong passion.
"I did the training, and I loved it. I loved to be with the people, to get to know the spirit of karate."
What began as a childhood game soon shifted into elite ambition. As she gained experience on the mat, her ultimate goal crystallized at a remarkably young age.
"From then, year over year, I decided to make a competition and I... I had fun to do competition and then I think around 7, 8, 9, I decided okay, this is what I really want. Then I also realized I want to be someday a World Champion, to be the best in my sport. This was something I really had in my mind when I was just a little kid and, yeah."
Decades before reaching the pinnacle of the karate world, Buchinger proved that monumental athletic journeys can start with the simplest childhood dreams.
An Austrian athlete won a gold medal at the 2016 World Karate Championships held in Linz, Austria, and secured a bronze medal at the 2014 World Karate Championships in Bremen, Germany.
Watch the full interview on the official WKF YouTube channel.
Photos: Martin Kremser / Karate Insights
Written by Artificial Intelligence