Background:
Hana Furumoto-Deshaies is one of Canada’s best karate athletes from Gatineau, Que. who has been part of the National Karate Team since 2010. She started this martial art at the age of five to learn self-defense and gain confidence after she was bullied at a friend’s birthday party. She did not always have a passion for this sport, but was able to develop it over time through competition and steady training. On the other hand, school also did not come as easy. She had to learn to organize and persevere to be able to balance sport and studies.

Being born to a Japanese mother and a Quebecois father, Hana was also navigating her cultural background and identity at the same time. When the time came to qualify for the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020, she did not feel up to the challenge. In fact, she had several setbacks, mental and monetary, feeling exhausted from being an elite athlete with few resources. This is why she chose to live in Japan, completely disconnected from sport, taking a break to find her roots. This time away proved extremely beneficial to her, setting up a return to play.

Hana came back strong after this long break, qualifying for the World Championships and the Pan American Games. She decided to return to sport to perform for fun and to become a better person. She wants to be able to pass on what she has learned during her journey to the next generation to help build self-confidence, balancing athletics and academics through prioritization and setting objectives, through introspection and discovery of its authenticity. Currently, Hana is a Master’s student in sports psychology at the University of Ottawa with the goal of becoming a mental performance consultant. Did You Know…In April 2023, Hana became just the second Canadian to win a gold medal on the Karate1 Series A tour; claimed the -55kg title in Richmond, B.C. just three months after her first career Series A podium when she won bronze in Athens, Greece…Hana loves to dance, smile, laugh and enjoy herself. Fun is contagious for her…Hana’s hobby is to dance kizomba… she played soccer and figure skated when she was younger.

 Career Highlights:
2024 PKF Pan American Championships: gold (-55kg)
2023 Named to 2023 Pan American Games Championship Team
2023 Karate1 Series A Tour Richmond, B.C.: gold (-55kg)
2023 Karate1 Series A Tour Athens, Greece: bronze
2023 Reached Career-High of Third inn WKF -55kg Kumite World Rankings
2023 PKF Pan American Championships: silver (-55kg)
2022 PKF Pan American Championships: bronze (-55kg)
2017 WKF World Junior Championships: 9 (U21 kata)
2013 WKF World Junior Championships: (participant -53kg)
2016 PKF Pan American Junior Championships: bronze (U21 -61kg)
2013 PKF Pan American Junior Championships: gold (-53kg)