Meet Sydney Lavarnway

We were lucky to catch up with Sydney Lavarnway recently and have shared our conversation below.

Sydney , we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

I get my resilience from my karate training. Every time I’ve had to push through tough practices, mistakes, mental blocks, and even losses at tournaments. I’ve learned how to keep going and improve instead of giving up.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am an elite karate athlete who competes worldwide, training with top-tier coaches and athletes. What I enjoy most is the environment of competition — the excitement, the nerves, and the energy that pushes me to perform my best. Even if I lose, I’m always learning, and even when I win, there’s always a takeaway. What makes karate so special to me is that it’s more than just a sport — it’s a journey of discipline, resilience, and growth. Right now, I’m focused on competing at the highest level, continuing to push my limits, and inspiring others to see how powerful this sport can be both inside and outside the dojo

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Looking back, I think the three most impactful qualities in my journey have been dedication, focus, and having a growth mindset. Dedication has kept me consistent — showing up to train every day and putting in the work, even when it’s tough. Focus helps me stay locked in during practice and competition, blocking out distractions so I can perform at my best. And having a growth mindset — always being open to feedback, willing to adapt, and seeing every challenge as a chance to improve — has allowed me to keep improving as an athlete and person. For anyone just starting out, my advice would be: stay consistent, really tune in when you’re training, and embrace the process of learning instead of chasing perfection.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

The biggest obstacle I’m facing right now is that the majority of my training is over FaceTime. Not having an in-person coach makes it harder to work on certain details, and training without partners is an extra challenge for kumite. To overcome this, I travel to Minnesota several times a year to train directly with my coach, and I also attend training camps where I can work with top coaches and athletes. I’m also planning to take a gap year so I can dedicate myself fully to karate, spend more time training in person, and continue to grow as a kumite athlete.

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