World karate hopeful spurred by Egypt terror

4:16pm Saturday 26th May 2007

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A MUM injured in a terrorist attack took up martial arts to rebuild her confidence - and is now set to compete in the world championships.

Cat Carlin, 25, of Ermine Close, Higher Croft, Blackburn, was in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El Sheikh when terrorists planted three bombs in July 2005, killing 64 people including 11 Britons.

Cat, who has an eight-year-old son Dylan, suffered a head injury in the blast and, coupled with some personal problems a few months later, said her confidence was shattered.

She said things only started to improve when she began training in Thai boxing and Japanese-style karate Go Kan Ryu.

Cat was a complete novice, but took to the sport quickly and has already won medals.

And next weekend the HND student in complementary therapy at Blackburn College is battling for a gold medal in the Go Kan Ryu World Cup championship being held at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham.

She said: "I've got this far so fast because of sheer determination. I train as much as I can and I really do my best because I had to get better.

"I'm amazed how much it's helped. I don't think I would be where I am now without Thai boxing and karate"

"I had a really bad year in 2005.

"I was in a bad way and needed to get back on my feet and this has just lifted me. It's been brilliant.

"My sister and my niece were doing karate and my son was doing Thai boxing and I noticed they, and especially my son, seemed very focused in what they were doing. I had become a really nervous person and had really bad depression and I thought I needed something to build my confidence back up.

"It's done wonders for me. I do reiki as well and I don't think I'd have been able to go to college or anything without the confidence this has given me."

Cat was in a taxi in the Old Market area where the first bomb was set off and suffered a bad cut to her head. The bomb went off just minutes after she had emailed one of her sisters to say she was fine and enjoying her holiday.

Investigators in the Red Sea resort discovered a car bomb had been set off in the Old Market area. Another car bomb and one placed in a suitcase were set off near hotels in the nearby town of Naama Bay.

Cat started Thai boxing in Bolton with instructor Jussy Low in July 2006 and Go Kan Ryu a month later at Roman Road Community Centre, Blackburn.

She soon began training for hours every week and on March 3 this year took part in her first competition when she won the women's gold in the Go Kan Ryu North West regional championships in Manchester.

In April she took the women's gold again at the Go Kan Ryu British World Cup Qualifiers where she won her place in the world tournament.