Champions Damien and Kori Goad.
Paul Ward Kori Goad
Kori Goad from Tournafulla, aged 14, competed in the WFM (World Federation of Elite Martial Arts) in Rome, Italy on July 1st and 2nd and came home with 2 world championship titles!
An amazing achievement for Kori as she stepped up to fight in a senior’s category showing character and fearlessness and pure determination to succeed.
In the Kickboxing title fight she fought a very experienced 19 year old girl from Switzerland who is a k1 (full contact) fighter on the higher end of her weight category and the nerves were high as she entered the ring. Very quickly Kori discovered that her opponent had very strong legs and she was taking her out of it with low kick so Kori had to move fast and worked her reach advantage with her punches and front snap kicks keeping the Swiss girl at bay. The fight was neck and neck the whole way through and when they raised Kori’s hand, winning a world champion kickboxing title, the Irish team erupted into screams of joy and sang “olé olé olé”, but there was no time for rejoicing as Kori’s title fight was coming up in 40 minutes, After quick congratulations from the crowd, and a few tears, Kori’s coach and dad Damian Goad, who had won a silver world medal in his kickboxing fight earlier that day, whipped her away to get out of her kickboxing gear and into the boxing gear, refreshed and rehydrated and a quick 10 minute pad work session, all the time working on the mindset to get focused for her next fight against a French opponent aged 19 years on the lighter end of her weight bracket.
This time a more confident Kori stepped into ring number 1 and immediately marked her territory and in a master display of punching combinations and blitzes she quickly had her French opponent on the defensive her opponent knew she couldn’t go toe to toe with Kori’s power, she was fast and agile and stayed low making it awkward for Kori to fight downwards, but Kori recognised her opening and attacked with spectacular uppercuts, her power proving too much for her older opponent leading to Kori’s hand being raised for the second time in victory, this time with a world champion boxing title.
This time she basked in her win and teams from all over the world cheered her for her strength of character as a 14 year old fighting in the senior category and winning both titles the tears that flowed showed the world how much Kori had wanted this, and how much it meant to her- her time had finally come,
Kori trains in boxing and kickboxing 3 hours per day, 6 days per week and she has to be conscious of following a well balanced diet with proper nutritional support , mindset coaching sessions every night, battling through injury and illness and blood sweat and tears. Her hard work and commitment has paid off.
Kori trains kickboxing at Fisty Cuffs, Abbeyfeale and boxes out of Cashen Vale in Ballybunion.
What’s next for this young champ?
She has been invited to fight in New York in December in the WFM World Games and she is fighting in Los Angeles in January in boxing and the bigger picture and ultimate dream is the Olympics – watch this space!