Ali Fadaie of Burnaby made his last appearance at the World Martial Games count.
The 34-year-old local financial planner and karate black belt won a silver medal in heavyweight continuous sparring at the World Organization of Martial Arts' competition at Telford, England on Aug. 19.
"I certainly wanted to get a medal," said Fadaie, a North Burnaby resident. "There are a lot of changes in life. I'm not a professional fighter. I didn't want to become 50 or 60 and regret not winning a medal. It's a high-quality tournament. All you can do is give what you have, and I'm so glad I won a medal."
Fighting in the men's 18-to-34 age class, Fadaie defeated kick boxers from the United States and England before coming up runner-up against a younger New Zealand fighter in the over-90-kilogram final.
"If it was my first fight against him, I win I think. It was my last tournament. I didn't want to come up with any excuses," Fadaie added.
Fadaie began taking karate lessons at the age of six in his native country of Iran.
He immigrated to Canada in 2003 and won his first competitive martial arts medal two years later at the Western Canadian Challenge.
In 2006, Fadaie won a silver medal at the Tiger Balm International and later earned gold at the Western Open martial arts championships.
He also represented Canada at two World Martial Arts Games, earning a silver medal in Ireland in 2008.
But, perhaps Fadaie's biggest challenge was using his years of experience to medal in his final competitive event before becoming a master athlete.
"It certainly was," Fadaie said. "I just conserved my energy. ... I just gave it whatever it took."
Fadaie works for the Investors Group. His martial arts website is www.warriorsclub.net.
