In August, many ETHS seniors started their first few weeks of class, fall sports, clubs, and activities. For ETHS senior Bella Solis, August was one of the most memorable months, the month when she won her first gold medal in the Pan American Championships. Solis’s achievements are among the most impressive and interesting in ETHS.
Solis recently competed in the Pan American Championship for karate in Paraguay, representing the US. Taking home a gold medal for synchronizing kata, alongside her two teammates, Sienna Chu and Emmersyn Cottingham, from Texas and North Carolina. Winning the gold medal was extra special for Solis after coming in second place in 2022 and 2024 for this same competition. The Pan American Championships are made up of 30+ countries from North, South, Central America, and the Caribbean. Kata, a form of karate, is a choreographed sequence of movements – strikes, blocks, and stances. The tournament is divided into kata (forms) and kumite (fighting), with team kata requiring synchronization. Solis competed in many rounds before advancing to the final round. Bunkai is another form of karate and is competed in the final round. In Bunkai, you demonstrate and break down the movements of a kata into individual steps. This victory was particularly significant as Solis is aging out next year, making this win a final triumph.
“Finally, this year, we went against the same team, Brazil, as last year, and we won, and that was like the best feeling ever. It just felt like so much hard work paid off, a lot of late-night training,” said Solis.
Solis’s karate journey began when she was 7, beginning naturally due to her brother starting karate at a young age. Solis started in local tournaments around the Midwest, and later moved on to compete in the US Open in Las Vegas, competing at the national level. Winning first place at Nationals allowed Solis to compete internationally. The process involved growing from family-friendly AAU to the elite level by age 12.
Solis explains that most of her training takes place in Kansas with her sensei, and they meet once or twice a month for a week of intensive training with her teammates. Zoom training was also used, but synchronizing kata forms over Zoom was challenging due to delays and glitches. Solis also explains the difficulty of missing school for competitions and catching up on work, often doing homework on planes or in the stands. Many national team members are homeschooled to balance their karate commitments, but Solis attends public school. Balancing school life and karate is very challenging, but Solis has become adept at managing both aspects of her life.
“It’s really hard. I think that’s like one of my biggest things that I’ve mastered over the years. It’s like missing one or two weeks of school and then coming back and having to get my stuff together. I always tell my teachers a week or two ahead, but they’re always super nice and understanding, especially here at Evanston.” Solis expressed.
Solis isn’t the only one in her family to win a gold medal in the Pan American Championships; her brother, Mateo Solis, won a gold medal back in 2023 for kumite. Solis credits her brother for getting her into karate and being a significant role model. Furthermore, Solis also explains how her parents and brother were emotional after her win, highlighting the family’s support and pride.
“He (Mateo Solis) knows how hard I work and how much work gets put into it, because he did it for so long. I think he really was a huge role model in my whole journey.” Stated Solis.
Solis has been on the US national team since she was 14, and was recently recognized as a captain, a significant achievement. Solis’s future karate journey is uncertain due to the challenges of balancing college and karate, but Solis’s future is certainly bright.
“Karate will always be in my life. There’s no way that I’m ever going to not go to a tournament and cheer on my teammates.” Solis explained.
