Kathy Olevsky, age 50, is an 8th Degree Black Belt in Karate. She began her studies of the martial arts in 1978. She received her 1st Degree Black Belt in Karate in 1986. Since then she has also studied Judo and received her Brown Belt, as well as her 2nd Degree Black Belt in Jujitsu. Together with her husband Rob, has owned and managed Karate International in Raleigh, North Carolina, since 1978. Kathy, an excellent example of today's woman, has combined her formal education at East Carolina University with her degree in management from the American Martial Arts Institute, and her physical training in Karate, to establish herself as a recognized authority in a field that, until now, has been almost the total domain of men.

Kathy is an instructor, foremost, but also an active competitor. She has earned over 150 trophies and medals in the past 30 years. In 1992, she won three gold medals for separate events in the Black Belt Karate divisions of the State Games of North Carolina. She was selected by the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness & Health, to receive the 1994 Award of Excellence for her "Outstanding Achievement and Commitment To Women's Sports in North Carolina." Kathy was also inducted into the 1997 Who’s Who of American Women. In 2001 she was inducted into the U.S. Martial Arts Hall of Fame as Master Instructor of the year. Kathy is the highest ranking female ever inducted into the USMA Hall of Fame. Also in 2001 Kathy was inducted into the North Carolina Academy of Women, sponsored by the YWCA, as the Woman of the Year in Fitness and Recreation.

Kathy continues her Karate training as both a 8th Degree Black Belt instructor and a student. She teaches co-ed Karate classes to pre-schoolers, children and adults in the Raleigh Karate International. For the past thirty years she has also taught a Advanced Karate class, for Women only, as a special program. She is currently adjunct faculty at both Meredith and Peace Colleges as a Physical Education instructor, teaching Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced classes in Karate and Self Defense. Kathy also serves as a trainer, to Personal Trainers who wish to implement Fitness Kickboxing into their programs.

Since 1982, Kathy has taught mini courses in Women's Self Defense, Teen Age Girl's Self Defense and Adult Self Defense. In 1994, a traditional Self Defense and Awareness program was modified by Kathy to create the Personal Safety For Real Estate Agents course. This course was customized to meet the safety needs of the real estate industry and has been well received in North Carolina. She has also taught Karate as a physical education class to a special education class through Wake County Public Schools. The children in this middle school class were all non-verbal and physically challenged by their restriction to wheel chairs. She taught this class of special kids for two years and was able to test them all for Gold Belt. They enjoyed were able to learn Karate by being taken out of their chairs and put on the floor. An assistant helped to move their limbs, while Kathy showed them the proper technique. In 1999, Kathy taught an introductory course of adaptive Self Defense to a Spinal Cord Injury Support Group that includes 10 paraplegics and 1 quadriplegics. Kathy was also a presenter at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1999. She spoke on the subject of teaching Karate to special populations, allowing no handicap to be a barrier.

She is certified by American Martial Arts Association as a master instructor, chief examiner and tournament Coordinator. She trains other black belts in certification and judging techniques. Kathy is also, widely recognized in the eastern region of the United States as a gifted Tournament Director. Kathy worked as a volunteer coordinator for the TaeKwondo event at the 1987 Olympic Festival. Kathy was also volunteered as the Coordinator for North Carolina Amateur Sports, for the Karate event of the State Games event from 1986 to 1991. Kathy worked as a volunteer with Special Olympic World Games in 1999. Kathy also gave her time to the North Carolina Bid Committee for the PanAm Games 2007. She worked as a site coordinator and airport operations chief for NCBC 2007 from 1998 through the visit from the Olympic Committee in September of 1999.

In early 1994, Kathy was appointed by the Wake County Commissioners to the Wake County Council on Fitness and Health. She served as chairperson of this council from 1994 –2004, and currently serves on the executive committee. In addition, Kathy has served as the Wake County liaison for the Governor’s Council on Fitness and Health. She has also served s on the Safe Schools Task Force and the Violence Prevention Committee and the P.E. Leadership Team for Wake County Public Schools. She is currently a board member of the Wake County School Health Advisory Council, and at a state wide level, North Carolina Action for Healthy Kids.

Kathy has been married to Rob since 1980 and they have two children, Josh 23, and Casey 16. They live in Wake Forest, North Carolina and enjoy running Karate International as a successful family business.