With a background in high school wrestling and judo, this Fort William born athlete joined the Fort William School of Karate in the early 1970s and went on to enjoy an athletic and coaching career that spanned half a century. Receiving his 1st degree black belt in 1980 from Sensei Tsuroka, the father of Canadian Karate, it was not long before he was making his presence known, being ranked in the top five of practically every tournament he competed in throughout the region and provincially. 

During the 1980s he brought home six gold medals from northwestern Ontario championships and earned multiple provincial medals including three Ontario championship titles between 1987 and 1989. 

Representing Ontario at three Canadian black belt championships, and competing against the best black belts in the country, he was a member of the gold medal winning kumite team at the 1986 National Karate Association (NKA) Championships and earned national silver in 1988.

Adding a provincial silver medal to his collection in 1991, and putting in a 4th place finish at the 1991 NKA Championships, he took a break from competition to focus his attention on providing instruction to others, but he soon returned to the mats. In 1995 he competed alongside his students as part of their silver medal winning Black Belt Team at the Canadian National Exhibition Karate Championships. Competing internationally, he earned a silver medal at the 1996 Midwest Regional Karate Championships and mined more hardware at the 1997, 1999 and 2003 Tsuruoka Nationals, adding 2 more gold in 2009. 

A certified instructor by the National Karate Association of Canada, he founded the John Charry School of Karate in 1991 serving as chief instructor and coach. Providing instruction over the course of four decades, and working his way up to his 7th dan, many of his students earned their black belts and represented Thunder Bay with distinction at competitions and a multitude of others, of all ages and abilities, have been given the opportunity to participate.

Giving back to the sport he has also served as a senior official at various local, provincial and national competitions and helped co-found a self-defense program specifically designed for women to help ensure their safety. Not surprisingly his contributions have not gone unnoticed, having received a 1986 Province of Ontario Special Achievement Award and multiple certificates of recognition for his athletic excellence and over fifty years of dedication to the sport of karate serving as a source of inspiration for others to follow.

Inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, September 27, 2025