Julie Taormina has dedicated countless hours to karate. And the practice is paying her back with the trip of a lifetime. Taormina, a 17-year-old Riverview senior, will travel to Lisbon, Portugal, to compete in the 13th International Tang Soo Do Federation Championship from July 24 to 27. Her nerves, however, have nothing to do with the international stage. Getting there — literally and financially — cause the most concern. “I’m excited to go there and be there … but the plane ride is really not my thing,â€? Taormina said with a laugh. “I’ve never been on a plane.â€? The cost for Taormina and her mother, Kim Murray, is roughly $1,800 per person. Taormina has done fundraising and is in search of private sponsors. “I really don’t want (my mother) to pay for this trip at all, but I don’t have any time to get a job. I have to practice, I have to practice with my team and I teach,â€? Taormina said. “She’s driven me out of state so many times; she’s spent so much money over the years. I feel like I should be able to put a dent in her cost.â€? Taormina’s sense of responsibility can be partially attributed to her passion for karate. She began the sport at age 8, earned a black belt at 14 and graduated to a second-degree black belt at 16. “I really can’t express enough how much karate has helped me,â€? she said. “I would tell any parent to put their kids in karate. “It helps me every day. It calms me down if I need to calm down. It helps my attitude.â€? In Portugal, Taormina plans to participate in team forms, as well as individually in forms, sparring, breaking and weapons. She won the forms competition last month at the National All Martial Arts Championship and missed Grand Champion by one-tenth of a point. “I like just practicing, but when I’m competing, I get this rush,â€? she said. “I can’t think when I’m competing, I just do well.â€? Taormina has experience at July’s event. She also competed two years ago in Chicago. “It was a good experience,â€? she said. “I learned how to work as a team. I always competed individually.â€? Team forms figure to be the most difficult task for Taormina. Her initial team was reshuffled after a member was forced to drop out. But that was before they started practicing, so the impact was minimal. Still, the team aspect of repeating patterns simultaneously is quite the challenge. “We all have different techniques and styles, so it’s hard for us to synchronize perfectly,â€? she explained. “We just have to do it over and over and over. … It’s a lot of mental work.â€? Taormina will attend Point Park University in the fall and plans to major in sports management. Karate has had such an impact on her life, she wants to pay it forward to future generations. “I get a lot out of teaching when I practice. I plan to be an instructor when I get older,â€? she said. “You just need to want to do it. If you want to do it, it will be worth it in the end. I’m going to Portugal, you know? I’ve put in so much time, and look where I’m going.â€? Jason Orfao is a freelance writer. Email Newsletters TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox.