Pro Karate Center Boasts Two of Nation's Best Black Belts

Of the dozens of sports recognized and hosted by the International Olympic Committee, karate is not one of them.

If karate was an Olympic sport, it’s very possible a pair of black belts who study at in Palm Harbor would be representing Team USA.

Meghan Fortune, 18, and Elijah Stroud, 11, were chosen by the AAU, the governing body of national karate competitions, to represent Team USA in a recent international karate tournament in Chicago. 

“They were selected for past merits; AAU asks 20-30 to represent Team USA,” said Dean Lavas, owner of Pro Karate Center. “They did so well at a national competition in Fort Lauderdale that both of them were noticed. It’s an awesome job.”

Fortune wound up winning a very impressive 3rd place in the international competition.

Both Fortune and Stroud, black belts each, got into karate for different reasons. Fortune was sort of pushed into karate by her stepfather as a way to learn self-defense. Stroud asked his father if he could try it out.

For Fortune, a student at St. Petersburg College who is majoring in elementary education, karate has been a life-changing experience.

“It has taught me to defend myself, but a lot more than that,” Fortune said. “It’s taught me how to be a better person. It’s learning how you want to be, to be yourself, to motivate yourself. Kids look up to you.”

Fortune admitted she didn’t have much self-confident as a young girl, but karate developed her confidence enough that she hopes to be a teacher.

Stroud had a similar story.

“Karate has given me confidence that I didn’t know I had,” Stroud said.

Ironically, the two have had far different reactions to others about their karate prowess.

Stroud maintains none of his friends or classmates at Highlands Lakes Elementary challenge him, thinking they can perform karate just as well despite not studying the discipline.

Fortune, however, had to keep her newfound passion to herself because of what others perceived as a stigma.

“When I was in high school, I wouldn’t tell anyone,” Fortune said. “People want to take you on. I got a lot of that. ‘Oh, I can take you on.’ So I really could only tell my best friend.”

The two have no plans on giving up karate at any time in the near future.

“People want me to do so many other things,” Stroud said of others who try to influence him to participate in so many other activities which would take him away from karate. “I stay motivated.”

“It’s hard to take time off because this is part of my daily life,” Fortune said.

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