Derya Kara: Aiming for World Championship Gold

National athlete Derya Kara is aiming to win a gold medal at the World Junior Kickboxing Championship to be held in Jesolo, Italy.

18-year-old Derya, who lives in Sakarya's Akyazı district, started kickboxing 2.5 years ago at her older brother's suggestion.

Derya, who quickly developed with her family's support, earned the title of national athlete by dedicating herself more to sports after her father's passing last year.

Derya took the top step of the podium at the Turkish Open WAKO World Cup held in Antalya on May 12-17 and at the Turkish Kickboxing Championship held in Bolu on July 1-9.

Derya, an athlete for Akyazı Municipality, will represent Turkey at the World Junior Kickboxing Championship to be held in Jesolo, Italy, from September 18-27.

National athlete Derya Kara stated that her father, whom she lost to lung cancer last year, was always proud of her success, and this motivated her to improve even further.

Emphasizing that sports require a lot of effort, Derya said, "Success already demands effort, but this is a very different situation; we work tirelessly day and night. We come to training, we make sacrifices in our lives. So it's tough, but if we want to succeed, we have to endure certain things."

Derya, stating that she wants to study at the Faculty of Sports Sciences and continues her training with her coach 5 days a week, expressed her goal with these words: "I am aiming for first place in the World Championship, which I will compete in for the first time. I believe I will win, God willing. I work tirelessly day and night, I do my runs. I attend my training sessions without fail, and I hope to come in first, have our flag waved, and our National Anthem played."

Coach Sercan Demirci stated that they have achieved significant successes with his athlete Derya Kara in 1.5 years.

Demirci stated that Derya gained experience in league and inter-club matches, adding, "We picked up the pace a bit, creating an extended program. With our morning runs and evening training sessions, she quickly accelerated her progress. We have high hopes for her. There are people who appreciate our successes, and we are proud too. Our motivation is increasing, and God willing, our goal is to become world champions."

Demirci, noting that they continue to work hard for the championship, added, "There, God willing, we will have our National Anthem played and our flag waved. It will be a proud moment; we will dedicate our medal to all of Turkey."