Katrine – The Karate Kid of Excelerate

“Whatever happens in the fight – stays in the fight!” Katrine shared her life experience of being simultaneously a student and a karate athlete and explained what wind blew her to Excelerate. So, who is Katrine Lionett Pedersen?

Alisa Pleska
2021-04-27

The voice recorder was ready, and I pressed the red button. During the 2-hour interview, Katrine openly shared her life experience of being simultaneously a student and a karate athlete and explained what wind blew her to Excelerate. The online platform that connects students and companies through thesis collaboration. So, who is Katrine Lionett Pedersen?

If you are crazy about sports, especially martial arts, Katrine’s face might be familiar to you. In 2016, she was the first Danish karate athlete ever who entered The Karate World Championships’ finals. Not bad at all, right? But hold on, let me tell everything in order about Katrine, the karate kid of Excelerate.

The Danish Karate Prodigy

Despite Katrine’s incredible achievements, she has her whole life ahead – she is just 25. She grew up on the outskirts of Copenhagen, in the coastal town called Ishøj. When she was eight, Katrine’s father brought her and her younger sister to Ishøj Karate Club. This was the starting point of all beginnings!

“By that time, I tried swimming, hip-hop, and football, but it was not as catchy as karate was for me.”

Katrine Pedersen

Name:

Katrine Lionett Pedersen

Age:

25

Origin:

Ishøj, Denmark

Position at Excelerate:

student helper as Content Creator and PR Responsible

Educational background:

2019: bachelor’s degree in English and Organizational Communication at Copenhagen Business School (CBS)Currently studying on her master’s degree in International Business Communications with a concentration in Intercultural Marketing at Copenhagen Business School (CBS) – graduating in winter 2021

Katrine Lionett Pedersen, Content Writer at PR at Excelerate
Katrine Lionett Pedersen, Content Writer at PR at Excelerate. Photo by Fausto Bottini

For the record, karate is a very demanding and dynamic discipline that requires a lot from an athlete’s body to endure. However, Katrine was absorbed by the martial art, devoting herself entirely to training. As a result, by the age of 14, she was a member of The Danish National Karate Team.

“Karate is about spirit and respect; it is not only about being fast or strong. That’s what I like in karate! You need to have a bit of everything to become the best.”

Katrine Pedersen

And so she did! Describing the most memorable life experience, Katrine immediately picked The 2016 World Karate Championships. Due to systematic training, she was able to win a victory over her invincible (right up to that point!) rival and enter the finals. Reminiscing about the championships:

“I remember being tense and feeling “high” because of adrenaline. I could not even eat that day. Unfortunately, I did not gain a victory in the finals; however, it was a good fight!”

Katrine Pedersen

A Change of Hats

Despite extensively focusing on the athlete career, Katrine always wanted to get sports non-related education. Thus, she has finished her Bachelor’s degree in English and Organizational Communication at Copenhagen Business School (CBS).

Moreover, at the time of writing this article, Katrine is once again one of the CBS students on the way to receive a Master’s degree in Intercultural Marketing and International Business Communication.

She was supposed to go on exchange to the US, but her plans were cancelled because of the infamous COVID-19. Instead of taking extra electives to close the semester, Katrine decided to postpone her exchange and get a student job instead to gain some useful skills and experience. After applying to dozens of positions, Katrine faced a harsh reality:

“I wanted to receive a valuable work experience, but I was turned off because I lacked it. And there is nothing I can do about it because I have been solely focusing on my education and my sports career. It was very frustrating!”

Katrine Pedersen

Thus, Katrine, the karate kid of Excelerate, decided to choose the path of least resistance. To apply for an internship, hoping that the demands will not be as high as for a job.

Being interested in marketing and communication, she was attracted by Excelerate’s job advertisement and (luckily!) applied.

Joining Excelerate

During the internship interview, Katrine presented herself as a well-qualified candidate and nailed it, becoming a newly-fledged content writer. She is responsible for writing blog articles and organizing the Excelerate blog, participating in the marketing processes of Excelerate, brainstorming new ideas, and just being a great of the team that helps to match students and companies for thesis collaboration. And Katrine is as great as they come!

Katrine Lionett Pedersen, Content Writer at PR at Excelerate
Photo by Fausto Bottini

“When I learned about Excelerate and its goals, I was very intrigued, and I genuinely think it is a genius idea. I adore that everything is built up around passionate students and their needs. I am 100% on board with Excelerate’s ideas because I know how difficult it might be to find a good job position being an under-skilled student.”

Katrine Pedersen

Katrine finished her internship in February 2021 but continued in the team as a student helper as of March 2021. Still, responsible for the Excelerate Blog but she has also taken on the role in PR. She is very excited to see where this takes her and Excelerate simultaneously.

And the icing on the cake! Read these random facts about Katrine, the karate kid of Excelerate, to fully understand who she is:

Random facts about Katrine:

Describe yourself in 3 words: “Colorful, curious, and open-minded.”

Fun fact: “As a kid, I was a proud member of THE “bike gang” – with a bunch of friends, who I went to school with and lived nearby. We basically just biked around the neighborhood in groups and made lunch together believing that we were super street. So lame haha.”

3 things to bring on a deserted island: “Coffee, sunscreen, and a big stack of pasta.”

Favourite dish: “Tortellini, pesto, bacon, and parmesan cheese.”

The most used app or website during a day: “Instagram.”

Role model: “My little sister. I really admire the person she has become, and how she sees and understands people. I truly enjoy spending time with her.”