AN EDINBURGH Napier student is hoping to make it to the next Olympics after a successful year of karate championships.
Sport and exercise science student Cameron Furness took home titles in British, Commonwealth, and Scottish Championships last year.
The 19-year-old is hoping for karate to be brought back into the Olympics by the 2032 games in Brisbane, and hopes to dominate tournaments worldwide before then.
The East Lothian athlete was first introduced to karate in primary school, and now holds multiple gold medals in the sport.
Cameron, from Prestonpans, won gold in three categories at the British Karate Federation Grand Slam last month.
He came first in the under-21 category, as well as the senior male categories for individuals and teams.
Earlier in the year, he also bagged titles at the Commonwealth Karate Federation Championship, the British International Open and the Scottish National Championship.
He said: “I really enjoy being able to travel to different parts of the world.
“Recently I’ve been to South Africa for the Commonwealth Championships.
“I have also had the privilege to travel to Spain, Croatia, Hungary, Cyprus, Georgia, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Turkey, Poland and the United Arab Emirates.
“Later this year I’m going to Japan for the Wadokai World Championships, which I’m really looking forward to.
“I first got involved in karate about ten years ago. They had a taster at my primary school and I just fell in love with it.
“I started going along to my local club in Musselburgh and found I was naturally quite good at it. I did other sports too, but this was definitely the one for me.”
“I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do after leaving school. I was good at science – biology in particular – so this course made sense.
“Having that dual career support has been really good. It’s let me fit everything in and gives me something to work on outside of competition.
“It is quite full-on as I work part-time too, but I always manage to find time.”
The dual career support scheme at Edinburgh Napier University allows those working in sport to fit their courses around their competitive calendars.
Now, Cameron hopes to make it in the Olympics, though karate was not featured in last year’s Paris games, and will not make an appearance in Los Angeles in 2028 either.
Cameron therefore hopes that the sport returns for the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane, saying: “Representing Team GB would be huge, amazing.
“I’ll be 26 by 2032, so if it’s back then I could be at a good age for it.
“In the meantime, the Under 21s European Championships are a big tournament for me, as you’re competing against the best of your age.
“I’m waiting to find out if I get picked for the senior squad for the European Championships in May, which would be a major achievement.
“Really I’m just trying to do as much as I can and enjoy it all.”
