Bainbridge Island kickboxers to fight in Spain
Published 11:55 am Sunday, October 18, 2015
BAINBRIDGE – The Bainbridge Boxing Gym’s two recently nationally-ranked fighters are seeking support via a crowdfunding campaign to enable them to travel to Spain in November and compete at the World Kickboxing Association’s World Championship event.
In March 2015, the Bainbridge Boxing team, coached and managed by Ben Little, traveled to the World Kickboxing Association’s National Championships and won two spots at the international event.
Through months of training — two, sometimes three times a day — Josh Soliva claimed a spot in the 139.9-pound men’s bracket and Laura Swanson in the 118.8-pound women’s bracket. Both fighters have now been invited to represent Bainbridge Island and the United States in Benindorm, Spain in November at the WKA World Championship, the largest amateur world kickboxing competition on the planet.
The gym has raised nearly half of their $12,000 goal and are seeking the community’s assistance to round up the rest.
“We are extremely grateful for any support you give us,” says the group’s gofundme.com mission statement. “Our mission statement. “Our goal of $12,000 will cover our airfare, room and board for our two fighters, Josh and Laura, and our coach, Ben Little. We need airfare from Seattle to New York City, to meet up with the rest of the U.S. team, from NYC to Spain, transportation to Benindorm, hotels, meals, training facilities and medical supplies and team entry fees.”
Gym spokesman Erik Ruud said that Bainbridge was quickly becoming a place well known on the national kickboxing circuit.
“A little known secret is the incredible talent that comes out of the small Bainbridge Boxing Gym located at the Coppertop facility in Bainbridge Island,” he said.
“Both of Ben’s fighters are currently undefeated and fight as hard as they can every time they step into the ring. Not only do these two individuals have a tremendous fighting spirit, they also have a level of compassion that can be seen in how they teach and share their knowledge with newcomers to the gym.
“There is little doubt they will represent the United States well and give everything they have in the ring,” he added.
Visit www.gofundme.com/bainbridgeboxing to learn more.
