By Dan Marshall

Two Nanaimo teens qualify for 2017 Karate Nationals

Jan 25, 2017 | 9:08 AM

NANAIMO — Two Nanaimo teenagers have qualified for the 2017 National Karate Championships in Quebec City.
 
15-year-old Liam Surry and 16-year-old Evan Milne both go to Dover Bay Secondary and train locally at Shima Karate Dojos.
 
Shima Sensei Kurt Nordli says they train about 50 athletes who are of age for the nationals, six tried out and Liam and Evan were the only two to make it.
 
“In past years I’ve only had one qualify, and then two another time, so it’s pretty rare,” said Nordli.
 
Surry has been training with Nordli since 2005 and is competing in para-karate.
 
He has a genetic disorder called Hereditary Multiple Exostoses which causes extra bone growth on his limbs.
 
Despite having to undergo several surgeries, Surry has competed in many high level competitions, including the BC Winter Games, and last year was successfully graded for Shodan in kobudo or weapons.
 
Milne got into karate when he was in grade four as a way to deal with bullying.
 
He has been involved in the BC Winter Games as well as both an athlete and a referee.
 
Surry and Milne compete at Zone 6 (Island/Sunshine Coast) tournaments and earned points to qualify for nationals from the BC Karate Provincials, the 2016 BC Open and the Karate BC Selections Tournament.
 
Liam has been in competitive karate for eight years, and Evan for six. 
 
Neil Surry, Liam’s father, says the boys spent a lot of time their time training.
 
“They train Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at their level. They train at the evening at Shima Karate. That’s training for the next belt, and they also teach at the school — they’re great role models in the community,” said the elder Surry.
 
Many sports in Canada have funding once you get to the national level but that isn’t the case for karate.
 
Nordli says it’s a lot of hard work for the boys and their families to make it happen.
 
“Because they have to train with the B.C. team there for four days before they have to go for a week,” said Nordli. “So it’s quite a big investment.” 
 
Liam has started a GoFundMe page to help him get to Quebec.
 
“We have to raise about $2,000 each and that pays for food, hotel costs, competition costs, and the cost of getting there,” said Surry. 
 
His page has reached about ten per cent of the target, and Milne has just set up his own GoFundMe page as well. 
 
The karate nationals are the pinnacle of the sport in Canada but success for Liam Surry and Evan Milne next month could earn them a spot in the next Pan American Games and Parapan American Games 2019 in Lima, Peru.
 
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Liam Surry – GoFundMe page
 
https://www.gofundme.com/liams-journey-to-2017-karate-natio

Evan Milne – GoFundMe page
 
https://www.gofundme.com/evan-going-to-2027-karate-nationals