Mt. Everest Karate Studio student Breyona Whittaker has been able to put her skills to the test and be successful at an early age.

At the young age of 10 years old, Whittaker has accomplished a lot of things many kids never will. She has won a gold medal in the AAU Karate Nationals, and then she went on to earn three more gold medals at the Junior Olympics. Her family has been excited to see her grow up to this point in such a young career.

“Everyone is impressed, because we all see how hard she trains and the growth she displays,” Breyona’s mother, Marcia Whittaker, wrote in an email. “Even though she is only 10 years old, there is something special about her. She is very dedicated to proving that girls can do anything. It’s amazing to see her out on the floor performing. Often people come up to us at the tournaments to say how impressed they are with her skill set.”

She joined the tournament team last year because she wanted to earn a bunch of trophies like her older brother did. From there, she started to take a real interest in competing at a higher level.

Her first goal was to get her name on the dojo wall by winning a grand championship, and she was able to do that. From there, she had goals of winning an AAU championship and winning at the Junior Olympics, which she did, surprising herself in the process by how many medals she was able to add.

Her family and those who have seen what she’s been able to accomplish in these competitions see it nothing less than impressive.

The Whittaker family is impressed even more by what Breyona does, because she is able to balance that with school and other activities such as Girl Scouts at a young age.

“Seeing her growth from her first tournament last year to where she is now is highly impressive,” Marcia Whittaker wrote. “I can’t wait to see where her journey takes her, and I am glad to be taking the journey with her. It’s an honor and a privilege to witness it.”

Mt. Everest has been pivotal in the success Whittaker has had up to this point. She resides in Newport News and travels across the James River Bridge every day to come to the dojo in North Suffolk’s Eclipse area, which is like a second home for her. The dojo has been instrumental in constantly developing Whittaker’s skills. With more success to come, it is only the beginning for Whittaker.