THE Penarth mother of a locally-raised champion kickboxer has said how proud she is of his achievements, and that of his teenage daughter, herself a kickboxing prodigy.
Lyn Maunder’s son, Nick Clarke, became the middleweight kickboxing world champion in Florida in October.
Raised on Tennyson Road and schooled at Fairfield Primary and St Cyres, Nick, 42, is the chief instructor of the Welsh Contact Karate Association.
The Fifth Dan black belt now lives in Aberdare, where he teaches the sport five nights a week.
He lives with his wife and daughter, Maddie - winner of the world championship in her category last year.
A Second Dan black belt 14-year-old Maddie has been training with her Dad since she was five, starting in the Little Dragons - which she now coaches.
Lyn said she was incredibly proud of both of them.
“It’s quite inbcredible what Nick has achieved,” she said.
“He was always very sporty and competitive and we did lots of sporty things as a family, but still I never thought he would excel to the point of becoming a world champion. It’s huge for him, and Maddie seems determined to follow in his footsteps, and more!
“I'm so proud of the pair of them.”
Videos of both Nick and Maddie’s fights are available on Youtube.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here