A young Judoka will be representing Muskoka when she heads to Renfrew County next month to take on the province’s best at the Ontario Winter Games.
By virtue of a streak of impressive recent finishes, Savannah MacDonald, 16, has qualified for the games, which take place on February 2 and 3.
Far from an overnight success, MacDonald got her start in martial arts at the age of four. Her ultimate goal is to earn her black belt and compete in the Olympics and the UFC.
If her recent results are any indication, she’s already well on her way. MacDonald scored a gold medal in a recent Huntsville tournament, gold and silver at the Hayabusakan Open, and a silver at a Canadian Winter Games qualifier in Markham.
MacDonald says she’s preparing for the upcoming Ontario Games by practicing her techniques at gyms in Huntsville and Bracebridge, where she also trains students.
“I’m preparing myself on perfecting the techniques I use most when fighting and finding ways to combat what people use most against me in tournaments too,” she says.
She says what appeals to her about combat sports is the challenge of going against different people from all different backgrounds.
“It’s a never-ending journey [in]which I can continuously better myself as well as helping my peers and kids and students who look up to me,” says MacDonald. “None of this could be possible without Action Centre Elite (in Bracebridge) and Huntsville Judo Club with Sensei Ron and Chris Muirhead shaping me into the Judoka I am today.”
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Enid Young says
So excited to see this article . All your hard work is putting you on the podium. Well done.