Nancy Lefever Caliguri never knew what she was missing — until she saw it right before her eyes.

Caliguri, of Lower Burrell and a 1973 graduate of Butler High, retired from karate tournament competition in 1990.

Seventeen years later, after stumbling onto a tournament in Chicago, Caliguri registered and took first place.

That only got things rolling as Caliguri captured her third consecutive Professional Karate Commission Women's Black Belt championship over Labor Day weekend in Indianapolis.

She's also won the Pennsylvania Karate Rating Association crown and the regional championships.

It all started on that serendipitous trip in Chicago.

"I had a shoulder injury (in 1990) and I had to let that heal," said Caliguri, whose husband Frank was the former owner of the Academy of Marial Arts in downtown Butler.

"Then I had a back thing, a knee thing. It was one thing after another. There was a big tournament in Chicago and I told Frank my body feels really good."

In Illinois, Caliguri had to compete with athletes 18 years old and up, "and I'm 50-plus," Caliguri noted.

"I took first place and when I did that, I thought, 'Yes, I'm back!'"

When the competition was completed, however, Caliguri wasn't sure she even placed.

"They started with sixth place, then fifth place and so on and I just figured I didn't place," said Caliguri. "The defending champion was there, a 22-year-old, and there was an 18-year-old girl who was a phenom. ... When they said "First place ... Nancy Caliguri,' I was as surprised as they were."

Caliguri has competed in several states, many with various divisions, including Ohio, where she has to compete against the men's champion.

"Every time I'm in Ohio, I've competed against the men's champion," said Caliguri. "I took first and he took second. It was great."

Another highlight along the way came at a tournament in Buffalo, N.Y.

"I'm in a lineup of young girls and I thought, 'Wow, I'm the oldest.' It was my birthday and I won, so that was my birthday present," Caliguri said.

Growing up in Meridian, Nancy enjoyed watching Bruce Lee in "The Green Hornet" and David Carradine in "Kung Fu."

"David Carradine — that sparked my interest," said Caliguri. "My brother told me, 'Hey, there's a karate school opening on Main Street.' That was Jan. 18, 1975 and I've been training ever since."

Frank was the owner and head instructor, and the two eventually would marry. The couple are the only husband and wife inducted into the Alle-Kiski Sports Hall of Fame, as well as the only martial arts competitors.

One piece of advice Frank always gave Nancy that really stuck was to work on the basics.

"If you just grow from the basics and you keep expanding, you build on your foundation," said Nancy Caliguri.

That's been the driving force in Caliguri's national championship run. She just earned her seventh-degree black belt while Frank was promoted to ninth-degree black belt.

Perhaps her biggest honor was receiving the Legend of Honor Award in September 2009 for her dedication and contribution to the martial arts.

Frank Caliguri eventually turned his Butler business over to another black belt, and he and Nancy continued to operate a karate academy in Lower Burrell.

"It's just become a way of life," said Nancy Caliguri. "You get to the dojo after work, enjoy the peace and harmony, and work out."