Jay Panchal

I born on August 15th, 2000, in India, in the state of Gujarat. We relocated to Canada in 2002, first going to Calgary, then to Parksville, and then to Nanaimo in 2005. Currently, I'm 16, entering my last year at Dover Bay Secondary.

I did swimming for about 4 years, and then dropped it when I was 10. It's a good skill to have, and after 4 years of learning swimming, it becomes competitive. I was never the fastest swimmer, so I pulled out and my parents enrolled me at Shima Karate!
Quite honestly, I didn't want to do karate at first, because I was a shy kid and scared of being judged. I quickly began liking it however, I was making friends and having fun. I don't regret sticking with it.

By way of who I am, I'm passionate about many things, and trying to juggle all of them gets incredibly stressful. I draw, I animate, I love to read, I do karate, I play piano, I play trombone, I'm involved in my school through Eco Club, and Beyond the Hurt with the Red Cross, I take on big projects, I work, and of course I have to deal with homework!
All of them are very fulfilling, but each of those is a huge time-sink! Commitments clash, and priorities shift, and my stress levels go way, way up.
Karate has been an anchor. Karate is the place I can come to reset, refresh, and work on myself. During the busy year, karate helps keep me sane!

I love the community and atmosphere we have at Shima. It really is my home away from home. I've learnt to cultivate an attitude of gratitude here, and I can guarantee that had I not stuck with karate, I would be a radically different person.