European glory for South Roscommon kickboxer Gary McDonnell
Gary McDonnell, a kickboxer from Ballyforan in South Roscommon, made a major breakthrough in his chosen sport when, just days after his 30th birthday, he claimed a gold medal in Turkey at the WAKO European Championships.
Gary did it the hard way, beating a top-ranked Turkish fighter, Battalay Seyit, in the lightweight (60kg) final, which was shown live on television in his opponent's home country.
He won the final by unanimous decision, having beaten Ukrainian Danylo Prolomov by first-round stoppage in order to qualify for the decider.
The championships took place in Antalya, Turkey, from November 12 to 20. Speaking to the Westmeath Independent, Gary said the medal was the product of years of hard work.
"When I won, I looked over at my corner and didn't know what was going on. I thought I was in a dream and someone was messing with me. I'm still over the moon. I can't get over it," he said.
Moves are afoot to have WAKO kickboxing added as a sport at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, and Gary said he's hopeful that he can continue competing at an elite level and ultimately reach those Games.
"I've been telling people since I was 19 or 20 that one day I'll be in the Olympics. People were laughing and saying it's not even an Olympic sport, but we always knew it would be heading in that direction.
"I don't drink alcohol, I don't smoke. I keep myself in tip-top shape, so I don't see any reason why I won't be able to compete at that level (in 2028)," he said.
When asked how he first got started in kickboxing, he replied: "When I was young I was a very shy child. I was a bullied a bit in school, and my parents wanted to put me into something to try to bring me out of my shell.
"So they put me into Taekwondo. I started Taekwondo when I was 15 and just fell in love with combat sports."
He trained in Taekwondo under Joe Gill and Conor Dunne in the Athlone Regional Sports Centre, but decided to switch to kickboxing when he was 19. "I haven't looked back since," he said.
Gary currently commutes from his home in Ballyforan to Claremorris Ultimate Kickboxing Club, where he trains under coach Phelim Halligan.
He also trains every weekend with the Irish national team in Dublin and, in the last year, has travelled to train and compete at events in Norway, Hungary, Finland, Spain and Turkey.
Gary is a son of Sharon and Malachy, and brother of fellow kickboxer Malachy Jr.
Unlike elite amateur boxers, kickboxers don't yet receive funding from the Irish Sports Council, so he had to fund his involvement in the sport himself this year. "It's a massive cost. Travelling abroad, eating right... It costs a lot of money, to be honest," he said.
Next year, he is hoping for another big year, with international events planned in Austria and Hungary before the world championships in Lisbon. It will be a busy twelve months, but he's not complaining.
"Anybody who knows me knows that my life revolves around kickboxing," said Gary.
"It's all I do - eat, sleep, train. When I take a break I'm watching (kickboxing) or going to other events to support friends. I love it, it's my passion in life."