For many, the dream of representing your country while competing in a sport you love feels far-fetched. But for two Illinois Shotokan Karate Club (ISKC) athletes, their dreams have become a reality.

Skylar Lingl and Cirrus Lingl joined karate at the age of 5 and 7, respectively. Their parents wanted their daughters to learn karate so they could protect themselves as they grew up, which led them to enrolling the girls in their local Shotokan program at the Dundee Township Park District.

Their dad, Mark Lingl, remembers, "When the girls were little, they loved to wrestle. I asked them if they would like to do karate and they both yelled 'Yes!' I had taken a class with ISKC back in the 80s and wasn't even sure they were still around, but amazingly enough, they had a program at the girls' school, so I signed them up!"

From the very beginning, both girls showed a lot of natural ability in karate and developed a genuine love for the sport. The sisters' coach, Brian Mertel, says that "while they always had talent in karate, they never relied on only that. They were always willing to practice at home and rarely missed class."

After only six months in karate, both sisters began competing in local competitions. From there, their love for competing blossomed and they continued to compete locally four times per year and annually at the USA Karate Nationals, earning many medals and trophies along the way.

Now, the Lingl Sisters have been training for over fifteen years with ISKC through the Dundee Township Park District, Schaumburg Park District and Hoffman Estates Park District.

These days, 21-year-old Cirrus and 19-year-old Skylar can be found traveling the world, competing, and proudly representing their country. In fact, in January, both sisters traveled to Colorado Springs to compete in the United States Karate Senior Team Trials. The first place winner in each division earned a spot on the United States Team and will have the opportunity to travel to the Senior Pan American Championships in San Jose, Costa Rica in May and to the 2020 Senior World Karate Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates this November.

Cirrus and Skylar each won first-place in their divisions and will be representing Team USA at both international tournaments. Older sister Cirrus, also secured a spot to compete in France for one of the last three spots available for karate in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

The Lingl sisters have an exciting journey ahead and a lot of hard work to come. Back home, they will have teammates, fellow ISKC students, and family members cheering them on as they approach these big competitions later this year.

ISKC has been teaching karate to thousands of people since 1978 at more than 70 Chicagoland park districts. ISKC's classes are well-rounded, allowing students to try forms (Kata) and sparring (Kumite). Classes also include Kihon (basics), which focuses more on perfecting each technique and self-defense.