MULTIPLE karate champion Switzerland-born Jessica Cargill has returned to her roots with the recent relocation to the birthplace of her father where she plans to transfer her wealth of knowledge in the sport to Jamaicans.

A black belt versed in the art of shotokan – a style of karate – Cargill is getting ready to begin offering karate classes at Robert Fitness Centre in Port Antonio, Portland on July 3, even as she makes plans to open her own karate school which will have branches across the island.

Cargill, who won a gold medal at the European Championship in Budapest in May this year, said karate will greatly assist children to hone the respect that the sport teaches.

“They will have respect to their teacher and mates and then there is the mental part of it, which will help them to be focused and to concentrate as well as have control over their bodies,” Cargill told the Jamaica Observer North East during a recent interview. In addition to this, she explained that karate will help to boost self-confidence.

Cargill was born of a Jamaican father, who is a musician, and a Swiss mother. She said she never failed to identify with her Jamaican lineage even as she competed on the world stage.

“‘Half-Jamaican’ is how they have always referred to me,” she said, adding that Jamaica is a brand that is known throughout Europe.

The 32-year-old said her parents always ensured that she made yearly trips to Jamaica to visit her paternal grandmother and other relatives in Long Bay, Portland. She recalled those early years of playing football in the dirt or frolicking in the sea with her playmates.

“I recognised my Jamaican heritage from very early on and I have always loved it,” she said, adding that she most enjoys the food and the music.

It was at age 12 that she was inspired to learn karate because of her father’s love for movies featuring actors like Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee. She has been training in the field for more than 20 years, but started competing 10 years ago and has since racked up an impressive haul of medals and titles in the sport.

Cargill has been the four-time bronze winner at the European Championships and six-time Swiss champion in the US, Paris and Germany open. This is in addition to numerous other medals and positions she currently hold in the sport.

“The only thing that is missing is winning the World Championship,” said Cargill, who said she still harbours hope of taking home gold at this level.

Meanwhile, Cargill said she has always dreamed of using her skills to help the children of Jamaica in their personal development.

“Karate has always helped me because it makes you a strong and confident person, especially for the girls, and so I always wanted to give back to the kids here and to be a role model,” she said.

It was this desire that motivated her to set-up her home in Portland, where she has been since May, and to begin working towards the dream of opening the karate school.

Cargill said she opted for Jamaica because she believes that not only is the need greatest here, but that it will also offer a bigger challenge.

In the meantime, the karate champion said she will continue to prepare for victory in the World Championship.

“My focus will be on these karate classes and eventually setting up the school, but it will also be me training while I train others,” she said.

Cargill said she would not object to representing Jamaica in the sport, if invited.