24/10/2023
I’ve written this about 20 times, it’s a struggle to put into words the incredible experience I’ve had over the last week, something that will be locked in the memory book for the rest of my life
On Wednesday 18th, 23 fighters from TCA, 4 coaches and a boat load of parents and supporters, flew over to Munich, Germany to compete in the ISKA World Championships 2023
As a team, we completed 123 fights & won 43 medals between us - 11 gold, 12 silver, 20 bronze over 3 days of tough competition
Personally, I had 10 fights & won 4 bronze across 5 disciplines. My categories were 18+ so I fought women much younger than me &, as the upper weight limit wasn’t there, sometimes heavier
Having only done 1 fight previous, the idea was to go & take some experience from the whole thing
I ended up having the most fights out of the entire team (me & our Cal) because I managed to WIN quite a few. The opponents were tough but each time I lost a fight, it was to the overall winner
I learnt so much, the whole thing was thrilling, overwhelming, emotional, nerve racking but something I will cherish forever
It wasn’t just the fighting, it was the community, the love and support that was there in spades, the tears & the massive belly laughs
I always said being part of a team is the most rewarding, special thing in the world but I didn’t get the true concept of TEAM until I experienced this
Thank you gang, thank you to the team mates who may be young but are way beyond their years, you Inspire me massively - thank you to the parents who saw me as one of their own & made sure I didn’t have to worry about anything, I truly felt loved & supported - & thank you to the coaches, seeing what you do properly, in real time, your bond with the kids, the time & care, the amount of yourself you give, the calmness & focus you help to produce in the ring is unbelievable
I can’t tag you all, but know I feel eternally grateful & blessed to know you, to spend time with you & mostly to be in Team TCA
I always said you should live life outside your comfort zone, it’s where true growth happens, & boy have I grown this week
Proud of us, proud of me, my body is broken but my heart is full ❤️🙌
