Princess Leah set for Vegas

Princess Leah set for Vegas

18 May 2016

SAINTFIELD mum Leah McCourt is preparing to compete in the World Amateur Mixed Martial Arts Championships in July.

With a European title already under her belt, Leah is on a mission to become a world champion in Las Vegas.

The 23 year-old hopes she can bring home the gold for Northern Ireland and for her five year-old daughter Isabella.

Looking forward to the event, she said: ”It’s really exciting, I have seven weeks to go and it’s quite intense training.”

In addition to MMA, Leah is a black belt in judo and a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, in which she competes across the world.

She’s currently training twice a day ahead of her world championship bid, a regime she describes as “exhausting but worth it.”

“It’s a great opportunity, especially to put Northern Ireland on the map,” she said. “People are not quite sure what MMA is. “I am doing it for Northern Ireland.”

Another powerful driving force behind her ambition is her young daughter Isabella, who is quickly following in her mum’s footsteps by trying her hand at judo.

Leah admits that one of the hardest parts of heading to Las Vegas will be leaving her daughter back at home, but she is hoping for lots of FaceTime chats.

As a self-funded athlete, Leah needs to raise at least £3,500 to make the trip.”It is a massive amount to raise so I am asking for a bit of support,” she said.

On top of training twice a day, Leah is also a fundraiser for charity Mencap, which supports children with learning difficulties and disabilities.

Leah wants to turn professional in MMA in the next few years and she hopes the people of Northern Ireland can help her achieve that.