STANISLAV HORUNA Success Story

STANISLAV HORUNA a karate athelete.

How did you develop your fondness for karate?
Everything has started with the games. I found interesting and exciting my first training. so, interest was the first thing, then goals. 

What drew you to Karate out of all other sports?
Karate is a very universal sport! There we have a huge arsenal of attacking and defensive techniques, there is work with different levels (high, middle (kicks and punches) and low(swipes and takedowns)), very sensitive and sharp work on the distance and movements. incredible speeds and dynamics. This is a very intelligent and tactical sport where we have no limits in combinations and actions. that’s why it is spectacular to watch!

At what age did you start learning karate?
At 14 years old.

What is your style and what rank do you currently hold in karate?
I don’t care about the styles – in regards to the traditional karate, but not sport karate. On this day I’m the 4th in worldwide ranking in my category (-75kg).

What was the highest prize you won?
After winning the gold medal at World Games in 2017 in Wroclaw government gave me 20 thousand USD. but the commercial prize won in the tournament was 1000 euro. We don’t have many commercial tournaments in karate, unfortunately.

What do you like more Kata or Kumite?
Of course, KUMITE!!!

Do you have a favorite Sensei?
No.

How did you get to this position and how was your journey being in this sport?
That was pretty tough, surely. long, long way full of injuries, financial issues, pain, brightest and saddest emotions, happiness, drive, travels, people, lots of analysis, lots of tries, fails and victories, funny stories, and many many other things.

Do you take karate as your profession or is it just a hobby?
I fight and compete at a professional level, but for me, it’s just a hobby. I don’t train like a professional athlete. just once a day, and not every day.

Who’s been an inspiration for you throughout your sports journey?
For me, as inspiration, were all the good and titled athletes!!! I wanted to overcome and beat all of them. and that was a huge motivation for me.

What challenges did you come across on getting where you are at today?
You can share any injury story as well. – the biggest challenge for me was, of course, injury. I have broken cross ligaments and two menisci on my right leg and I missed 2 years! TWO YEARS!!!!! 2015 and 2016 were wasted for rehabilitation, repeated injury, and rehab, failures at the tournaments. my first victory after the injuries I’ve received in 2017 and till now I competed quite successfully. 

What motivates you the most about your profession as an athlete?
My goals are my motivation. I know what I want and that stimulates me every time I’m tired, defocused, or injured. my biggest goal is the Olympic Games gold medal. looking forward to getting it in 2021.

What are your strengths as both an athlete and as a person?
Don’t know. I don’t like to characterize or describe myself. 

Do you have something you want everyone to learn?
My life credo is “want more? become better!” the only thing I can tell the others is – you need to improve yourself. always ask yourself what are you doing? for what? do you need/want it? and what is needed to achieve/realize it? on the way to the goal, you’ll find the necessity of improving.

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