Glasgow teenager wins bronze at world karate championships
A Glasgow teenager who faced life-threatening health challenges as an infant has achieved remarkable success on the international martial arts stage, reports BritPanorama.
Ben Cotter, 15, secured a bronze medal for Scotland in his age category at the JSKA World Karate Championships held in Matsuyama, Japan, this past November. The competition also marked another significant milestone for the young athlete, who received his Shodan grading, a first-degree black belt, from SKA world chief instructor Nagaki Mitsuru Shihan.
Cotter’s path to this achievement began under the most challenging circumstances. Immediately following his birth, he was transferred to neonatal intensive care. At just four weeks old, his condition deteriorated critically, requiring life support. Doctors identified bronchomalacia, a condition causing abnormally soft airways susceptible to collapse. Throughout his early years, his breathing would halt unexpectedly, necessitating resuscitation by medical professionals and occasionally, his own parents.
The youngster experienced multiple lung collapses, resulting in permanent damage to his lungs and frequent reliance on supplemental oxygen. Despite these serious health obstacles, Cotter refused to let his medical difficulties prevent him from pursuing athletics and began training in karate at the age of four. Now a black belt holder, he expressed that competing at the international level and travelling globally feels “amazing,” particularly given his difficult start in life.
Ben said: “There was a point where doctors were worried about whether I would survive and whether it would affect things like learning and walking. I felt like I was always wearing a hospital wrist band.” He added: “Even when I started karate, I remember being really tired because my left lung had to do most of the work, but it’s just something that’s always been part of my life.” The teenager described competing in Japan as an incredible experience where he felt like “a gladiator competing in these incredible structures of wood and metal with statues everywhere.”
He is also the British Kumite champion, having won the title in January in London. Looking to the future, Cotter expressed enthusiasm for upcoming events, stating he is focused on getting better. “Karate has given me so many experiences and taken me around the world, so it’s something I’ll keep doing for the rest of my life. The next big championships are in Italy next year,” he said.
Since his recent achievements, he has received praise from Kelvinside Academy rector Daniel Wyatt and his coach at Hokushin Karate Academy, Mike McCusker. Wyatt remarked, “Ben’s journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. From a life-threatening collapsed lung to a determined young athlete, he has defied the odds at every turn.” McCusker added, “Watching him grow from that determined young boy into the martial artist he is today has been an honour. Earning a black belt is a milestone few reach, but to do so in Japan— the birthplace of Shotokan karate—makes the achievement even more remarkable.”
