TV heroes inspired karate champion to international glory

Published on Friday 5 August 2011 19:26

IT all started with a hit TV show and some action figures.

Now, thanks to the Power Rangers, one determined athlete has become the karate queen of Scotland after winning an international competition.

Chloe Maclean, 20, scooped two gold medals at the Commonwealth Karate Championships - the equivalent to the karate Olympics - with her nimble and aggressive kicks and punches.

Chloe, who studies at Edinburgh University, admits she often sends the boys in her fight club crashing to the mat, after practising the sport since the age of seven when she spotted the Power Rangers use karate chops on their enemies.

Black belt Chloe, from Broomhouse, said she was delighted with the win last Saturday, which is her biggest yet.

She said: "Basically, I used to love the Power Rangers when I was little and my dad was always keen to get me into sport. The community centre at Sighthill had karate classes and so my dad thought he'd take me along.

"I think the Yellow Ranger was my favourite; she wasn't as girly as the Pink Ranger.

"I really enjoyed it as it was great fun. I only really started competing properly at about 15 or 16, since then I've progressed quite rapidly.

"At the moment I am currently Scottish, British, and Commonwealth champion. At the Commonwealth Championships I won the senior 50kg category and the under-21s under 53kg category. Our competitions are very violent and aggressive, but also very elegant.

"The fighting is very fast and consists of two-minute fights. The person with most points is the winner."

Now Chloe, who says karate is a very good method of self-defence for girls as well as an excellent way to keep fit, is training for an even bigger event. In October, she will head to Malaysia for the under-21 World Karate Championships.

She said: "In training I spar with both boys and girls. It's all just training with the lads but I'd like to think I give them all a really hard time despite being a tiny tot. It's always great catching the guys with a really good kick.

"The biggest injuries I've had have mostly been caused by myself - I once had two black eyes for a week. If you're going to do a sport like karate, you have to sacrifice your face a bit."

Chloe, who trains with Lisa Cairns, from Bathgate, who took a bronze medal at the recent championships, said she is thankful to her clubs, Meadowbank Karate Club and Lasswade Karate Club.She said: "They are probably the best clubs in Britain. To win the senior world championships is my ultimate goal.

"At the moment my ambition is to win the under-21s this year. Everything I've done this year has been for that and I hope everything is falling into place."