Danica Van Boom Makes her Mark on Commonwealth Stage

Photo Credit: UWC Sport

The UWC karate athlete reflects on spending more than two decades on the mat, with her latest achievement seeing her represent South Africa at the Commonwealth Karate Championships.

Cape Town, South Africa (13 November 2026) – What started as a childhood activity at just three years old has taken Danica Van Boom all the way to the international stage, with the University of the Western Cape (UWC) karate star recently representing South Africa at the 12th Commonwealth Karate Championships in Glasgow, Scotland.

The 26-year-old, who hails from Lansdowne in Cape Town, competed against a predominantly European field from 5 to 8 November, finishing fifth out of 42 athletes in the Commonwealth Club Championships and 10th in the Elite Commonwealth Championships.

Her journey in karate began long before she could have imagined wearing the Protea badge. By the age of six, she was already competing, setting the foundation for a sporting journey shaped by years of discipline, dedication and a desire to keep improving.

Glasgow provided another important learning experience, exposing Van Boom to different styles of competition and challenging her both physically and mentally.

She believes one of her biggest lessons was learning to manage self-doubt and expectations, while recognising that success in sport requires more than technical ability.

For Van Boom, representing South Africa is about more than personal achievement. She hopes her journey can encourage young athletes, particularly girls from humble backgrounds, to believe that they too can reach the highest levels of their sport.

“Even though competing on an international stage is daunting, to be a young female student-athlete from humble roots and to have doors like this open is just unreal. Representation has always mattered, so I hope this shows a young karate athlete out there that we too can do hard things,” she said.

Away from the karate mat, Van Boom is also committed to her academic journey. She is currently in her second year of a Bachelor of Education Honours degree in Mathematics Education at UWC, balancing her studies with the demands of competitive sport.

With her international season now complete, she is looking forward to a short break before turning her attention to provincial trials and the next chapter of her karate career.

From a little girl discovering karate in Lansdowne to competing among the Commonwealth’s best, Van Boom’s journey is a reminder that big ambitions can have very humble beginnings.