Riverside Secondary grade 10 student, Quinn Meldrum, won the Western Canadian Kickboxing Championship on October 22, 2016. There are no ranks or ranking system in kickboxing meaning at this competition anyone could participate. Quinn managed to pull off an impressive victory in his final fight to capture the Western Canadian Kickboxing Championship.
Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand where it uses mostly stand up technique and some “grappling’ and ‘clinches”. Muay Thai originated in the 16 century, and Muay Boran is known as the originator of the sport. They took Muay out of his name and added Thai to make Muay Thai. A lot of people compare it to boxing as they use a lot of the same techniques.
Muay Thai isn’t the only sport Meldrum competes in. “I do Muay Thai, wrestling, and Jiu-Jitsu,” said Meldrum. Training for all three of the sports is quite physically punishing. “I train for seven to ten hours a week,” said Meldrum. Most people who do soccer, baseball, hockey, and other sports who don’t compete at a high level usually only train for two to five hours a week, with a game or two on the weekend. There are few sports that train and prepare more than Muay Thai and Jiu-Jitsu.
The most competitive and successful champions start at a young age, where as Meldrum started at the age of 13. “I go to the gym and follow my coach’s instructions and that really helped me prepare and win the competition,” said Meldrum. “It’s an amazing accomplishment for me and allows me to compete with the best,” said Meldrum. For someone to
win this championship with only two years of training is impressive and not something you hear about often.
“It means I’m doing well; I was really happy, but also surprised. I didn’t see myself walking into the tournament and winning,” said Meldrum. A competition that comes around once a year is a good start to Meldrum’s possible career in the sport. “It’s a great feeling especially when you don’t expect to win,” said Meldrum. “More training is needed and I will work even harder and be more confident for my next competition.”
