This is an image of UQ student and karate champion Alannah Schramm doing a high kick

Karate champion and UQ student Alannah Schramm tells Contact how staying mentally strong is crucial to helping her punch above her weight.

Don’t let Alannah Schramm’s size fool you.

Standing 159 centimetres and weighing in at just 48 kilograms, her opponents could be forgiven for being complacent.

But what appears to be a weakness is actually one of her biggest strengths.

Just ask the women still icing their bruises after the Australian Karate Federation National Championships in Launceston in August.

This is an image of UQ student and karate champion Alannah Schramm punching.


Don’t let Alannah Schramm’s size fool you.



Standing 159 centimetres and weighing in at just 48 kilograms, her opponents could be forgiven for being complacent.



But what appears to be a weakness is actually one of her biggest strengths.



Just ask the women still icing their bruises after the Australian Karate Federation National Championships in Launceston in August.


This is an image of UQ student and karate champion Alannah Schramm punching.

The first-year UQ student returned to Brisbane with a gold medal in the under-21s minus-50 kilogram kumite division, a silver medal in the women’s open teams events, and a bronze in the senior minus-50 kilogram kumite division.

“I condition my body as best I can, but mental preparation is the key to winning any fight,” Schramm explained while demonstrating her speed and agility with a flurry of shadow punches and high kicks.


“You’ve got to learn to take a hit pretty early on. It can be hard sometimes because I’m in the lightest weight division and I’m always out there fighting bigger girls."


“I just have to believe that I can beat anyone. When I get out on the mat, if I believe in myself that’s when I perform at my best.”

Schramm has represented Australia at international competitions since she was 12 years old. She has competed at Commonwealth and World Championships and has won five Australian Open titles.

She said a personal highlight was winning a silver medal at the US Open in 2014.

Watch the video about Alannah Schramm.

Not bad for someone who took up karate for convenience when she was five years old.

“I have two younger brothers and both of them were a bit out of control when we were little. My parents wanted to put them into karate because it was a sport that would teach them discipline,” Schramm said.

“Mum didn’t have time to drive us around everywhere, so I was shoved in with the other two. I ended up sticking with it and, in the end, I had to choose between dancing and karate.

“Everyone was quite surprised when I chose karate.”

This is an image of UQ student and karate champion Alannah Schramm sitting in the martial arts gym at UQ.

The 18-year-old now has her sights sets on representing Australia at the senior Karate World Championships in Dubai in 2020, all while juggling a full-time Bachelor of Physiotherapy degree at UQ.

“Sometimes it can be hard to juggle elite sport and university. But at the end of the day it just comes down to good time management and always having a goal that you can work towards,” the UQ Sports Achievement Scholarship recipient said.

“I usually train three-to-four times a week leading up to a big competition. My training schedule includes general technique sessions combined with some sparring.

“When I’m training with the Queensland team, we mainly focus on sparring and competition practice. I also do my own cardio and gym work, as well as my own strength and conditioning.

This is an image of UQ student and karate champion Alannah Schramm doing a high kick.

“The UQ Sports Achievement Scholarship has allowed me to juggle my sport and my studies by giving me flexible sign-on for my courses. It also allows me to have access to a range of facilities at UQ, where I can train between classes if I need to.”

Karate will make its Olympic debut in Tokyo in 2020. While Schramm’s weight division will not be included, she is excited about where the sport is heading.

“We’ve never been featured in the Olympics before and it gives everybody something big to aim for,” Schramm said.

“A lot of people have joined the sport recently and it has certainly raised the level of competition within Australia and across the world.”

Find out how you can apply for a UQ sporting scholarship.

This is an image of UQ student and karate champion Alannah Schramm doing a high kick.


Congratulate Alannah on her achievements

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