Even at just 14 years old, one local martial artist already knows his way around the global circuit and, later this month, he's going for gold.
Gabe Mata leaves for the 2019 Junior Pan Am Karate championship in Ecuador on Friday. He's been there twice before, coming home with the bronze medal in 2017 and 2018.
This time, he says he is extremely motivated to come home with the gold medal around his neck.
"This is my third year going to the Pan Am’s and well I just have to listen to my coach Luis Plumaucher. Try my hardest and always believe in everything I do and good things will come. I’m really hoping I can get that gold medal."
Plumaucher has no doubts it will be a different result for Mata. He says he has complete confidence in him.
"This year is going to be different," he says. "I will be there with him. It’s my first year with Team Canada, so the confidence now is at the top and we are 100 per cent sure that the gold medal is coming back to Canada with us."
Mata is one of the top young karate athletes in Canada and has been able to accomplish a lot despite having type 1 diabetes. He says he doesn’t let it get in the way.
"I just keep it under control and just always try to focus on the good things."
The Junior Pan-American Karate Championships begin on August 29th in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
