Kitchener karate kid continues to impress on national and international stage

A 13-year-old girl from Kitchener is making a name for herself in the karate world after a summer full of stiff competition.

Mariana Guerrero qualified for the Canadian championships in June and secured the gold medal.

At the end of August, she competed in her first international contest for sparring at the Junior Karate Pan American Championships in Mexico. Once again, she found herself on the podium with Canada’s only gold medal.

Guerrero’s father, Carlos, recalls watching his daughter shine and said it was mesmerizing.

“There she is. It’s amazing. But I couldn’t talk, it was like ‘Ah! Ah!’” he said, quietly. “It was fantastic.”

Guerrero is no stranger to the sport and has been training much of her life. But that training got an extra boost two years ago thanks to Canadian karate star Hamoon Derafshipour. He trained with her up to 10 times each week ahead of the Pan American Championships.

“Morning and afternoon, morning and afternoon,” Derafshipour explains.

“I was tired. I was done,” Guerrero told CTV News. “And then he kept telling me to push through, push through, push through.”

Guerrero trains out of Kazoku Martial Arts in Cambridge. Sensei and head instructor James Wyatt said the duo’s dedication and consistency create the perfect partnership.

“They're both on the same wavelength on what's to be expected and what it takes to win,” Wyatt said.

But this is just the beginning when it comes to what Guerrero hopes to accomplish.

“[My] number one [goal] is to try and be number one in the world as I get older,” Guerrero said.

Derafshipour says he believes Guerrero can be an Olympic champion.

In the meantime, it’s back to school for Guerrero. But what’s it like walking back into school as a national and Pan American champion?

“I think everyone is pretty intimidated by me,” Guerrero said, jokingly.

Although, there may be some truth to it according to her father.

“You kind of feel relaxed like, ‘Ok she can handle herself.’”