Gülderen Çelik
Gülderen Çelik (born April 13, 1980, in Istanbul, Turkey) is a Turkish female karateka competing in the Kumite –53 kg division. The 1.80 m (5.9 ft.) tall athlete is a member of the Sarıyer Belediyespor in Istanbul. Her trainer is Turan Yılmaz.
Karate career:
Aged only 12 years, Çelik was inspired by a neighbor’s young boy performing karate. In 1992 she started attending karate lessons given by Bahattin Kandez, a former national karate practitioner. He is still her tutor.
After having been successful at the provincial level, Çelik fought in national tournaments winning titles. At her first international participation in 1999 in Euboea, Greece, she became a European bronze medalist in Kumite under 53 kg divisions.
Since then, Gülderen Çelik has been competing at various international events with success and has been champion several times in her category.