Kristen Yawney is prepared to pull triple duty today at the annual Prince George Open Judo tournament.
"I'll be fighting, coaching and working at the head table doing draw sheets and calling out the competitors names," said the B.C. under-17 gold medalist in the minus-70
kilogram category at the 2012 provincial championship.
After earning 10 medals - six gold and four silver - at various competitions in the past year, Yawney said the part of the event at the Prince George Civic Centre giving her butterflies is the verbal one.
"I did it last year a little bit, but it's kind of nerveracking talking on the loudspeaker and not wanting to mess up or anything," said Yawney.
The P.G. Judo Club will welcome 155 competitors from around northern B.C., including the Hart Judo Academy and North Capital Judo, as well as two clubs from Kamloops for the 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. event.
"It's always a really good showcase for all our younger athletes to show what they've learned," said Yawney. "It's a good coaching opportunity for us."
In addition to the provincial championship Yawney won in Kamloops earlier this year, the 15-year-old D.P. Todd secondary student also earned the silver medal at the junior nationals in 2011 for under-15 women in the minus-63 kg category. At the B.C. Judo championship in Abbotsford, she took first place in the under-17, minus-70 kg division and nabbed the silver medal in the under-20, minus-70 kg division.
Her most memorable wins came from the Canada West Invitational in Burnaby where she picked up double gold in the under-17, minus-70 kg and under-20, minus-63 kg categories.
"I fought a couple of girls that I'd always lost to and I finally beat them," she said.
Yawney also won gold at the Vancouver International Open (under-17, minus-70) and picked up the silver a couple weeks ago at the Edmonton International Open (under-17, minus-70).
At today's P.G. Open, the women's under-17 and under-20 events will combine into one category, but the added competition doesn't faze Yawney.
"You've got to be confident and not overestimate [older competitors] and not be too scared to do anything," she said. "It they underestimate me, I really don't mind because then I get the chance to surprise them."
Yawney said she'll have a number of new throws, chokes and pull downs to use on her opponents this weekend, having mastered them two months ago when she earned her brown belt.
Aline Strasdin, head instructor at the P.G. Judo Club, said now that Yawney has fought as a brown-belt competitor a couple of times, she expects the butterflies to fade away.
"She's got the nerves behind her so it should just be old hat for her now," said Strasdin.
Yawney and teammate Kyle Wilkinson are strong contenders to represent their hometown at the 2015 Canada Winter Games when Prince George hosts. Both athletes have already qualified for the national judo competition in Toronto from July 5-8.
Yawney, who would like to have her black belt by the time the Games roll into town, said 2015 is one of her future goals.
"I want to stay in it for as long as I can, have a lot of fun and win Canada Games," said Yawney.
