July 27, 2016
Caitlin Farenger, MSU kinesiology junior and martial arts champion, will be traveling abroad for the first time this fall to compete in the World Karate Championships after winning both a bronze and a gold medal in the World Karate and Kickboxing Nationals in June.
Farenger has been practicing martial arts since the age of six, and now more than a decade later, is still making time for the sport despite her rigorous college workload. She schedules classes Monday through Thursday so she can return home on weekends to train.
"Karate is my escape from reality; it’s my stress reliever and my happy place,” she said. “Doing it every week helps me to keep calm and focused for my classes.”
Over the years Farenger played several sports and it was her experience overcoming an ACL injury that led her to study kinesiology with the hopes of becoming an orthopedic physician assistant.
“After surgery I spent four hours every day after school at physical therapy to get back to sports, and I realized this is what I want to. I want to be the person who helps athletes like me do the things that they love,” she said.
This summer Farenger is continuing to take classes and train to prepare herself to compete on the world’s stage in Dublin Oct. 3 to Nov. 6.
“In karate you have to think ahead and think strategically. I just try to apply the strategic part of it to my studying,” Farenger said. “It helps keep me stay disciplined and focused on what is important.”
Story by Victoria Bowles, student writer
Courtesy photo