Knees 2 Malaysia

Hi, we're Nico and Caelyn and we're part of the team representing Canada in the International Federation of Muaythai Associations (IFMA) Youth World Championships 2022. We'll be traveling to Thailand for a 2 week training camp in July, then Malaysia to compete on the world stage in August. This is a huge honour and opportunity for both of us. Here are our stories...

Nico's Story

When I was a little kid, I was pretty shy. I hated doing activities on my own, so when I was 11 and my mom suggested a parent & child Muay Thai class, I said OK. I loved it right away. Something about punching and kicking made me feel so strong and powerful. I didn't even mind the burpees! When I was 12, I joined the adult class and got to train with the "big kids". Pretty soon, I was training 5 days a week and would have gone more if I could have. At 13, I became a Junior Coach, helping to train our junior athletes. I really like watching the kids learn the moves and realize what they're capable of. It makes me feel good to see the kids' skills, sense of team, and confidence grow everyday. 

In the fall of 2019, I competed at Nationals and won gold. It made me want to work even harder to get to the next level. And then 2020 happened. Being in the gym 5 days a week quickly went to no days a week. Fortunately, my coach started online classes right away, so I was able to keep moving with the team. By early summer, some of the other teens from the gym and I would get together for outdoor cardio.

I was so happy to get back to training in the gym and even though there have been ups and downs, Muay Thai has been a constant in my life that's kept me going through it all. With the help of my coaches and teammates, I'm realizing that whatever comes my way, I CAN work through it. What's important is showing up, having the right attitude, and knowing that I'll get by with a little help from my team.

 

Training in Thailand is a dream that I never thought would come true, and competing in Malaysia even more so. When I found out that Muay Thai has been officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee, I thought, I could go to the Olympics one day! But I never imagined that taking such a major step toward that goal would happen so soon. I am super excited for this opportunity and can't wait to get to work and meet all the amazing athletes and learn from them.

Caelyn's Story

My name is Caelyn and most of my life, people would describe me as shy, timid and a bit of a wallflower. Today, Muay Thai has made me feel confident, powerful and capable of anything I put my mind to. 

7 years ago I stepped into my first Muay Thai class. I spent the first few years just going through the motions and learning the basics. It was a weekend pastime that I was enrolled in to keep active while learning a little self defence along the way. But my coach's love for Muay Thai was infectious and as I got better, my progress gave me the fuel to keep going. Sparring was a new way to test new skills and techniques and improve on weaknesses. At 9, the opportunity came up to compete at Nationals and never having been in an official fight before I agreed to the match not really knowing what to expect. There were no other kids at my gym looking to compete and so I trained with adults in the evenings staying up way past my bedtime. It was a lonely experience, even for an introvert like me and I remember thinking that it was the hardest training I'd ever done. I ended up with a silver, having lost to my first opponent and at the time I cried feeling like I let my coach down. Looking back at it now, I am glad I accepted the challenge and had the courage to see it through. It taught me so much about myself and what I was capable of.

A couple of years later, the kids program had grown and there were more kids to train with and more opportunities to spar and compete. And here is where I learned one of my first big lessons of Muay Thai: in as much as it is an individual sport, it is also a team one. It's your teammates that can push you through those hard training days, that can help make you better and cheer for you so loudly in the ring that it's hard to feel alone. 7 years later, after walking into my first lesson, countless late night classes, bloody noses, injuries and bruises, I've worked hard enough to be given the incredible opportunity to represent Canada at the 2022 IFMA Youth World Championships. When I think back to when I first started, with no one local to look up to, follow in their footsteps and strive to be like, possibilities like competing in the IFMA World Championship did not even enter my mind. Now, I dream even bigger, with the Olympic Rings in sight. I want to be someone that will encourage and inspire other youth who are just like I was - shy, quiet, not confident - to be curious enough to try this amazing sport. Whether it’s to get in shape or compete, the life changing lessons are invaluable. 

Lanny's Story

Lanny is the owner and head coach of Stride Muay Thai. He started his pursuit of learning and training in martial arts at the age of 16, and has never looked back. “Coach Lanny” takes pride in ensuring all of his students learn proper Muay Thai. With a keen eye for details and a patient demeanour, Lanny believes that anybody can become a student (nak muay) of Muay Thai.

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The IFMA (International Federation of Muaythai Associations) World Championships is an annual competition where countries from around the world compete in Muay Thai. Its history goes back as far as 1993 and 2005 for the Youth Championship. Until recently (outside of World Games) this was one of the highest levels of competition for the sport of Muay Thai. However, on July 20, 2021 at the 138th session of the IOC in Tokyo, Muay Thai was finally certified as an Olympic sport and IFMA was granted permanent membership in the committee. It was a momentous occasion after 30 years of lobbying. 

30 YEARS.

With the respect of the IOC, the importance and eyes on the IFMA world championships for Olympic prospects will only grow and this year, a team of 8 youths have been selected to represent Canada in the 2022 World Youth Championship in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Our coach believes us to be trailblazers. In Canada, the Muay Thai community is small. Even smaller are the number of female athletes and women of colour. We are fighting to bring home the World Youth Championship medals in our weight divisions and demonstrate the strength, courage and heart of Canadian female youth athletes.

Although this competition is really just around the corner, we are up for the challenge. Our biggest obstacle right now is getting the funds to get us and our coach there, and invest in more training. The competition alone is over 2 weeks long - a costly endeavour to fund. We are hoping, with your help, we'll be able to set a path for many more young people to discover, fall in love with and practice Muay Thai.

We are so grateful for all the support and encouragement we've gotten so far from all our family, friends, team members, and coaches at Stride Muay Thai , and the Muay Thai community. Follow us on Instagram at Knees2Malaysia for our training and competition journey.