A BOY who lives in Highmoor has been selected to represent the UK in a karate competition.
Nikita Kostenko, seven, originally from Kyiv, Ukraine, will compete at two Karate World Championships later this year.
They will take place in Croatia, where the World Traditional Karatedo Championships will be held in Vrsar, from October 21 to 26.
He will then travel to Cairo, Egypt, for the International Traditional Karate Federation championships, held from October 27 to November 2.
Nikita started training in the discipline when he was about four years old, shortly after fleeing war-torn Ukraine at age three-and-a-half in September 2022, with his mother, Valentina Korovina and his younger sister, Anna, now four.
He is part of the Traditional Karate-Do Federation of Great Britain, as is Mrs Korovina and said he is “very happy” to be “following in her footsteps”.
Nikita said: “I enjoy karate. I have lots of friends at training and I’m very excited to compete. I don’t get nervous before competitions but this is my first time competing outside the UK.”
He has competed at about 12 domestic competitions, attending his first one when he was five years old and receiving third place. He has a medal for each competition he has attended.
Nikita said: “The first time I competed, I came third but then I received first place the second time.
“I usually place in the top three and sometimes I’m competing with boys who are a little bit older than me. When I’m on the mat, I feel very happy.
“Although it’s hard work, it’s a lot of fun and the medals remind me that all the work paid off. We all cheer for each other too, my competitors are my friends and it feels really good to support everyone.”
Nikita trains about three times a week during school term time but now it is the summer holidays, he is training about six times a week, for about 30 minutes to an hour, with his mother at home.
Mrs Korovina will run with Nikita to the neighbouring village, Nettlebed, or to Memorial Park in Sonning Common and train punches or kick moves in their garage at home.
Once a month, Nikita will also attend specialist competition training in Boston, Lincolnshire, at the centre for the federation. A keen sportsman, Nikita also attends football training and swimming lessons once a week.
Mrs Korovina, 38, said she is “very proud” of Nikita and his achievements. Also a keen karate athlete, when she moved to the UK, she joined the Henley leisure centre to keep up her training.
But she had to wait six months for her husband to be able to join her from Ukraine before she could restart it due to childcare commitments. Mrs Korovina said she kept her fitness levels up by running every day with Anna’s pushchair to pick Nikita up from pre-school, until spring 2023.
Mrs Korovina said: “Nikita has been training little by little since he was very young and has been making good progress.
“Since he was four and five, I’ve been helping him with punches and kicks. Some days, we will go for a run or get some exercise in other ways. I started training in the sport when I was 12, so barely a teenager and it is so important to me for so many reasons.
“I have explained to Nikita why it means a lot and for him to also be in the sport is amazing.
“To win a medal is great but what’s important to me, first, is keeping healthy. It’s also good practice to keep in a routine. To have the routine of school, followed by training, free time and then sleep encourages good habits for later in life.
“Also, it is good for character. Nikita has a lot of friends at karate and all of his competitors are very supportive. They always say hello to us when we arrive and ask him if he is ready. I think that’s very important for children to have those interactions and be able to learn from each other.”
She added: “We are incredibly proud of everything he has achieved in just two years. This is a huge opportunity for him and an important step in his sporting journey.”
Mrs Korovina has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover flights, accommodation and competition entry fees.
Writing on the page, she said: “Every donation, no matter how big or small, will help bring him closer to the opportunity he has worked so hard for. If you are unable to donate, sharing our story with others would mean just as much to us.
“Thank you for believing in a young athlete and helping a little champion follow his dream. Your support will give Nikita the chance to compete alongside talented young karate athletes from around the world and proudly represent Great Britain.”
To donate, visit www.gofundme.com/f/support-nikita-representing-great-britain-at-karate-worlds