Fighting fit

Emily Gailey is a 19-year-old kickboxer from Castlederg.

While she stands at 5’1 and holds a smile on her face, she was not always this fighting fit.

During Emily’s early teens, she suffered from bulimia and depression, which led to her admission into CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services).

“I didn’t have a good relationship with food,” said Emily. “I was – and still am – obsessed with the number on the scale.

“School is when I recognised that food wasn’t important to me, and having a healthy diet wasn’t important either. I became skinnier-and-skinnier – and didn’t even realise how unhealthy I was.

“The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services became a big part of my life, but it was both a positive and negative experience.

“I found out that I was autistic, but they didn’t value my lack of eating enough. They didn’t focus on my self-consciousness, and body dysmorphia,” she continued.

One night during her teens, Emily’s mental health had taken a turn for the worst, and she tried to take her own life.

“I just became really depressed,” she said.

A turning point in Emily’s life arrived when her father suggested that she try the local kickboxing club in Castlederg named ‘Castle K1 Kickboxing’, which ran out of the old St Eugene’s secondary school in the town.

”My dad asked me if I’d consider going to a class,” Emily reflected. “I ended up going – and I didn’t look back.

“While I do enjoy cross-country and hockey, too, but kickboxing is truly where my heart is,” Emily said.

Emily has also learned to take control of her eating for the better.

Alongside her education in South West College studying sport sciences, she has learned to manage her eating habits to gain weight in muscle, rather than worry about gaining weight in fat.

“With studying food and nutrition as part of my course, I know what my body needs, and when. For example, half an hour before the gym, I use creatine for making my recovery ten times easier. In the past, I used food to punish myself because I didn’t understand what was wrong with me. Now, I use it to control my progress for kickboxing.”

Emily has been committed to kickboxing for over five years with her club, K1.

Alongside this, she has achieved many awards with the Army Cadet Force (ACF), representing Northern Ireland at national competitions, winning five national titles between hockey and cross country.

But what does the future hold for this small, but mighty, woman?

“I just want to be the best in what I do,” Emily refeclted. “I want to perfect my craft, and even if I don’t become a world class fighter, I’d like to be a top tier trainer.

“I like to inspire people.”

Emily is, herself, inspired by the greats of martial arts, like Conor McGregor, for his bold attitude and popularity.

However, one particular person Emily looks up to is the Omagh-born boxer, Tiernan Bradley, who once attended Conor McGregor’s camp, and now fights across the world in an impressive 5-0 unbeaten streak.

“It makes me happy to see someone like Tiernan from a small town getting big and making a name for themselves,” Emily said. “You can be from anywhere, and achieve great things.”

Emily wants to see more women take on sports as a whole, as she feels there is a big gap in sports for women to fill. Even in her own club, she is the only girl competing in competitions.

“I think more women should be participating in competitive sports, but maybe they are insecure about themselves and feel intimidated when they’re at the gym,” Emily said. “I tell them to just worry about themselves, and worry about nothing around them.”

Looking towards the year ahead, Emily has identified a number of key goals she would like to reach.

“My plan for 2023 is to fight at the Europeans in Dublin, and get to the finals in the super-flyweight category – 52kg,” she said.

“So, I’ve 6kg to lose before then, but I’m really excited for this coming year… And I am confident I will get there,” she concluded.

By Callum McGuigan