Coachella Valley martial artist competes for USA Karate Junior National Team

COACHELLA VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) -- A local youth martial artist is taking her skills to the international stage after earning a spot on the USA Karate Junior National Team.

Aubrey Pena, a top martial artist in the Coachella Valley, qualified for the team after competing at nationals. She is the second seed in the 14/15 Plus 61 division.

“I never really thought like, oh, I'm going to be on team. I never thought that,” Pena said.

Pena's first opportunity to compete with USA Karate came in August, when she traveled to Costa Rica for the Pan American and PKF competitions.

“I qualified at nationals and then since I made second seed, I got to go to Pan AMS and PKF in Costa Rica,” Pena said. “I didn't place, but that was okay because I still had like a learning experiences and the trainings I did, and it was really knowledgeable.”

For Pena, karate is more than a sport. It is a family tradition.

She has been practicing karate for about 10 years. Her father, Alfonso Pena, previously practiced karate and introduced her to the sport when she was young. He now owns Dejitaru Karate Dojo in Bermuda Dunes, where Aubrey trains and competes locally.

“I've been doing karate for, like, ten years. I started when I was really little, and I want to keep going in it,” Pena said.

Now, when opportunities arise, Pena is adding USA Karate competitions to her schedule.

“Calendar's always open for me,” she said. “I'm not, like, crazy busy other than, like, trainings and stuff. But, yeah, it's always open. I will always take the opportunity.”

Pena said she does not yet know when her next competition with Team USA will be. In the meantime, she hopes her journey encourages other young martial artists to continue pursuing their goals.

“I keep going in this and like, I don't stop and neither should anybody else in their sport,” Pena said.

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