Community stands behind kickboxers

When local kickboxers Lily Sinclair, Sarah Randall, Aaron Thomas and Miiguel Nunez make their debut at the Amateur World Championships, it will be just them, the referee and their opponent.

But, for the four fighters as they prepare to embark on a trip of a lifetime to Europe, it has been a true team effort to get them to the starting line.

Coached by former women’s World and European kickboxing champion Sallie McArdle, the team have been training two times every day in the build-up to the event.

Sallie, who is travelling with the team as one of two New Zealand coaches, says it’s been a full community effort to get the team in the best shape of their lives inside and out of the ring.

Not only have their clubmates been eager to get in the ring to help with sparring, but several businesses around the community have also stepped up to help the team on their journey.

With free gym memberships from Miki D’s, John Dawson from Equilibrium providing free chiropractic services and personal trainer Glenn Harding doing free functional training, the team has been swamped with support.

They have also seen numerous businesses around the community get behind them in other ways, helping to raise funds through donations of their goods, time, money and even musical talent.

Sallie says people were eager to jump on board when they heard about locals taking on the world, but there has still been a significant personal expense for the fighters to get them over the line.

Alongside fighting in Romania, the team will start their trip in Ireland with training under seven-time World Champion Robbie McMenamy before joining the Italian team in Venice for two days of training.

They will then fly to Slovenia for a four-day training camp with several other nations, with 70 athletes and some of the world’s top coaches in attendance ahead of the WAKO (World Association of Kickboxing Organizations) World Championships in Romania.

With 65 countries in attendance, it will be a whole new experience for the local fighters as they come up against the best in the world.

While Russia, a powerhouse country in the sport, will not be attending, Sallie expects it will take between two and three wins to make it to the medal stages.

“They’re all working full time, and a lot of the guys (and girls) they’ll come up against are full-time athletes. Some of us are also mums and dads, it adds an extra workload.

“I know this level inside and out and I wouldn’t be taking them if I didn’t know they could do it.”

For the fighters, many of whom have never been to Europe, there are some differences in their anticipation.

Miguel says it’s an exciting first step in his future career as a fighter, but for others, it’s the experience that they’re looking forward to the most.

“I’m definitely looking forward to putting myself up against the world’s best,” says Aaron.

Sarah says she’s excited to see what gyms on the other side of the world are like, having been training in repurposed squash club rooms in town.

For Lily, it’s been a journey of continuing to push herself to overcome the obstacles of being a world-class kickboxer.

“When I first walked in, I don’t think you’d have ever seen me here.”

For more details of the local support the team has received and to keep up-to-date with the fighter’s journey at the World Championships, including where to find live streams of the event, regular posts will be made on the ‘SMA - Sport Martial Arts’ Facebook page.