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The Fernie Karate Club recently completed its first belt grading since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The event marked not only a long-awaited return to business-as-usual for the club, but also highlighted the hard work of the club’s members.
“I couldn’t be more pleased with the results,” gushed chief instructor Wynne Cairns. “This was the first-ever grading for the majority of participants, and they really rose to the occasion, overcoming their nerves and giving it their all.”
FKC was first launched in the fall of 2018, and has welcomed 50+ members through its doors since then, even taking two athletes and coaches to the BC Winter Games in Fort St. John in 2020. Just weeks after the Games, however, the pandemic forced the club to close.
“We had to pivot and adapt, just like so many other groups. That summer, and in the summer of 2021, we were able to practice outside at Prentice Park with families and people of all ages. It was super fun,” notes Cairns. That fall, Cairns and her family seized an opportunity for a short-term move to Victoria, and shuttered the club.
“We’re just so happy to be back and able to pick up where we left off,” she continues. “I’ve been practicing karate for close to 30 years, and I am grateful to be able to share it with others.”
Fernie Karate Club practices Mondays and Wednesdays at École Isabella Dickens Elementary School from 7:00 – 8:30 pm. For more information, go to www.ferniekarate.com