Timaru karate exponent Lizelle Pelser is pinching herself after becoming a world champion.
Pelser won the world title at the Goju World Championships in Auckland over the weekend.
The 40-year-old easily won the veterans’ 35-plus kumite (sparring) final 8-0, before the time was up.
“My goodness, I was overwhelmed, it was my first world title. To have the national anthem played on the podium was amazing.”
Pelser, who owns a Timaru gym, said she had been building up to the worlds all year.
“I won two silvers at at the Commonwealth Karate Championships in India, but a world title has just blown me away. Things seem to be just getting better.”
Pelser also took out the bronze medal in the senior under 68kg class in kumite.
The delighted Pelser was not sure what the future held in terms of competing, but she intends to stay in the sport as a coach or helping with competitions.
“I’ll take a break and see. Some people are trying to persuade me to compete in the Oceania championships in New Caledonia next year.
“I’m quite exhausted as it has been a long year.”
Pelser said 24 countries attended the championships and another big highlight was beating a South African, the country she had emigrated from.
“I’ve been hoping to be able to do that for some time in an international competition.”
The championships also gave Pelser a chance to catch up with some of her South African team-mates from a decade ago.
“There were also some Kiwis there I competed against (as a South African), so that was pretty cool.”
Pelser has been doing karate since she was 17. It came by chance after helping out with office work at a gym.
“I watched karate, and one of the parents encouraged me to have a go.”
Pelser said she had been very shy growing up in a small town, and the sport had helped build her confidence.
“From that perspective and helping you be good all rounder, it has been great.”
Eighteen months after taking up karate she was selected for the South African junior team and then onto the senior ranks.
She relocated to Timaru in 2005 when her husband was offered a job here and made a comeback to competitive karate in 2013.
Courtesy of: The Timaru Herald