November 4 2017 12:00 AM
Skerries-born karate athlete Sorcha McCorry has added yet more medals to her impressive national and International Championship achievements for Ireland alongside Francisco Astudillo Pena.
In a demanding year for training and attending a significant number of competitions, the Skerries native also managed to tie the knot with her Venezuelan born husband, Francisco Astudillo Pena, a qualified engineer, who is also an accomplished and experienced karate athlete and coach.
The karate pair had met regularly through international competition and seminars and in 2010 not only became world cup champions but also realised their mutual philosophies and paths in their karate life was alike giving rise, in part, to the Venezuelan moving to Ireland in 2016.
Attending the launch ceremony, at the National Sports Campus in Dublin, were representatives from the International and Irish Olympic committee, Sport Ireland alongside Irish Olympian Eamon Coughlan who presented each Karate Ireland squad member with their track suit.
This year has seen the couple compete at the WSKF and ONAKAI Nationals.
Francisco taking WSKF national champion gold in both kumite and kata and ONAKAI national champion gold in both veteran kumite and kata with bronze in Senior kumite and kata. Sorcha also took WSKF silver in both kumite and kata.
Selected as part of Ireland's WSKF squad the pair abandoned their honeymoon plans in order to represent WSKF Ireland, at the world championships, held at the impressive Budokan in Tokyo.
They joined some 600 athletes from over 25 countries attending a three day seminar before competing at the two day international competition.
With only days to acclimatise to the Japanese time zone and humidity the Irish team returned with a total of twelve medals.
Five of those returning to Skerries: Gold and now 10 times WSKF World Champion, Francisco Astudillo Pena in veteran Kumite (fighting) and Silver in veteran Kata (forms). Sorcha McCorry returning with three bronze in Kumite (fighting), team Kumite and team Kata. Fantastic wedding presents for the couple.
The pair also competed at the recent Irish International Open where 611 national and international athletes attended the National Sports Campus for the event.
Francisco and Sorcha medalled again adding two bronze for Francisco in veteran kata and senior kumite and bronze for Sorcha in women's kumite with a fourth place position in kata. Their next international event will take place in November, when they attend the Belgium Open.
Sorcha is a fitness and health coach working at Alpha gym in Skerries. Both Sorcha and Francisco are karate instructors in association with WSKF Ireland who offer classes for adults, children, advanced and beginners with Generations Fit, providing programmes for self-defence, school based karate/fit classes for schools and fitness instruction as part of its inclusion programmes and personal training.
Further information from Sorcha at 086 1569828, Francisco at: 089 9884213, Martin at 087 9680126 or Tom at 086 4158705.
Fingal Independent
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