Rising through the ashes: Mitchell's Plain kickboxers win gold

Tatum Monis jetted out of Cape Town for the first time a week ago to participate in the RCFA National Kickboxing Championships over the weekend, and the 12-year-old made it count.

By the time she returned home to Mitchell’s Plain, she had a shiny gold medal around her neck, symbolising her new status as a South African champion.

Tatum admits she was nervous heading into the competition, but those nerves quickly turned into excitement once she stepped onto the national stage.

“I was nervous at first, but once the fights began, I just focused on giving my best,” she said.

“It was an amazing experience.”

The youngster is one of six members of the Mitchell’s Plain Kickboxing Club who achieved a remarkable 100% winning record at the recent national championships held in Vanderbijlpark. All six athletes who travelled to compete returned home as national champions, a clean sweep that has the local community buzzing with pride.

What makes their success even more impressive is what they had to overcome just to get there. Weeks before the tournament, the club lost all its equipment in a fire that destroyed the home of chief instructor Jeremy Peterson in Lentegeur.

The blaze, believed to be an arson attack targeting a neighbouring house, spread to Peterson’s home, where the club’s gear was stored and where he held his private training sessions.

With little time and no equipment, the team turned to the community for help.

“We had to rely on good Samaritans to get back on our feet with donations,” Peterson, who came back with his own gold."

Their determination paid off spectacularly.

“With setbacks like that, the comeback felt even greater,” Peterson said. “Everyone of us fought our hearts out and gave everything in the ring.”

Among the other gold medallists were Kaylin Stubbs, Guthaifa Abrahams, Lee Chanquin, and Tolga Abrahams. Despite the challenges, their motto remains: train hard, fight easy.

“There are no shortcuts. We trained hard, stayed disciplined, and kept pushing no matter what. "When the coach says do something, you do it, that’s how we got here,” said Stubbs.

With Peterson also competing, fellow club member Sara Ajam stepped in to handle coaching duties alongside her officiating role, supported by another member, Shaheen Ajam.

Now, the team has its sights set on the World Championships, which, fortunately, will be held on South African soil next year in April, easing the financial strain of international travel.