Kara’s Nationals Journey: From Last Place to a Breakthrough Season
When I first played at the National Championships last year, I barely knew what I was doing. I’d only had a few sessions, and I was still figuring out the basics and everything felt new and overwhelming. I won just one set the whole weekend (which I was really proud of) and finished right at the bottom of the rankings.
It would have been easy to walk away feeling defeated – but I didn’t. If anything, it lit a spark in me that made me determined to work harder. I remember thinking “I can do better than this. I want to do better than this.
A Year of hard work begins
Over the past twelve months, I’ve thrown myself into improving. The very first thing I did was to get my wife to build me a practice table I could use at home. I knew I needed more time on the ball and having the practice table at home that I could practice and develop the fundamentals of the sport whenever I wanted. It made a massive difference straight away.
I also travelled to other clubs to learn from more experienced players. Every session taught me something new and I loved being around people who pushed me to raise my game. But I still felt like I needed more regular table time closer to home with more structured training sessions that I wasn’t getting at my current club.
That’s what led me to set up Bury Aces. I wanted a space where I could train consistently, improve alongside others and help grow the sport locally. Starting the club gave me the structure, support and community I needed, and It became a huge part of my development this year.
Even after all that work, I arrived at the 2026 UK Showdown Nationals with very realistic expectations. Honestly, I thought as long as I finish second from bottom, I would be happy. My goal was simply to show my progress.
A Strong Start – Once I warmed Up
My first match didn’t start well. I lost the opening set 10-12, and for a moment I felt that familiar worry creeping in but I quickly realised the problem: I hadn’t warmed up properly.
Once I settled, everything changed.
I came back to win the next two sets 12-7 and 12-5, and when I realised I was actually going to win the match, I couldn’t stop grinning.
That confidence carried into the rest of my group stage matches.
I won my next matches in straight sets – 11-5, 12-2 and then 13-11,12-10.
I finished the group stage at the top of my group and unbeaten. That alone felt like a huge achievement.
A Tough Test and a New Target
My toughest match came in the first placing round. I played a very technical opponent who pushed me harder than anyone else all weekend. It was the only match I lost, but instead of feeling disappointed, I came away inspired.
He exposed areas I want to improve and I’m already thinking about how to come back stronger next year.
A Confident Finish
After that defeat, something clicked. I reset, refocused and went on to win all my remaining placing matches in straight sets. For me that was one of the biggest signs of progress – not just playing well but recovering well.
When the final rankings came out, I couldn’t quite believe it:
- 9th Overall
- 2nd in the women’s rankings and going home with a silver medal.
My hard work really did pay off and I’m proud of myself for sticking with it.
Looking Ahead
This year’s nationals showed me how far I’ve come, but also how much more I can learn. I’m excited to keep improving, keep challenging myself and keep enjoying this sport.
I’m incredibly grateful to everyone at Bury Aces for the support, encouragement and belief also to the amazing players at Coventry Comets and Sussex Spitfires for your generosity and willingness to help other people get better in this sport. I wouldn’t have achieved this without you.
I am taking a week off training to rest and recover and then we go again and I can’t wait to see what next year brings.
By – KaraGoldfinch