‘This is our sport and we would go pro if we could’.
GOOD friends Natasha Bradley and Nadine Theron are looking to change perceptions about women competitors in the male dominated sport of cage fighting, as the two young girls forge their way in the sport in East London.
“We are here to really train hard and fight,” said Theron.
“For us it’s about pushing each other and getting better as we go.”
The young women have faced their fare share of hardship and scorn along the way, with many frowning on the fact that they compete in a sport meant “for men”.
“People look at us and think ah, you girls shouldn’t be fighting, it’s not a girls’ sport, you are not supposed to do it, ‘why would we go in and mess ourselves up’,” said Bradley.
“Broken bones, major injuries – those are things we witness and hear about before we enter the cage.
“They are things we accept might happen, things we deal with and things we try our best to avoid. They are not things that scare us or make us less keen to fight,” she explained.
“As far as we are concerned, it is part of the sport and could happen to someone no matter how much of a good fighter they may be.
“Our love and passion for the sport overpower any fears of getting injured,” she added.
Said Theron: “But people don’t understand that it’s a passion, they are too quick to judge the sport. But this is about what we enjoy.”
And Bradley continued: “People portray it as a male sport and as soon as we tell them we train MMA, they judge us and say ‘that’s not a sport for a girl, girls should do this, girls should do that’. It shouldn’t be a gender-based issue.
“If you enjoy it and are good enough and strong enough, why not?”
Criticism does not deter them they say they would just like to grow the sport as much as possible and continue in it as long as they can.
“We say to women everywhere, whatever you do, come and get involved, –whether you are a karate champ or boxer, do ju jitsu or tae kwan do, come and test yourselves,” invited Bradley.
Young pathbreakers show the way for ‘girl MMA’
GOOD friends Natasha Bradley and Nadine Theron are looking to change perceptions about women competitors in the male dominated sport of cage fighting, as the two young girls forge their way in the sport in East London.
“We are here to really train hard and fight,” said Theron.
“For us it’s about pushing each other and getting better as we go.”
The young women have faced their fare share of hardship and scorn along the way, with many frowning on the fact that they compete in a sport meant “for men”.
“People look at us and think ah, you girls shouldn’t be fighting, it’s not a girls’ sport, you are not supposed to do it, ‘why would we go in and mess ourselves up’,” said Bradley.
“Broken bones, major injuries – those are things we witness and hear about before we enter the cage.
“They are things we accept might happen, things we deal with and things we try our best to avoid. They are not things that scare us or make us less keen to fight,” she explained.
“As far as we are concerned, it is part of the sport and could happen to someone no matter how much of a good fighter they may be.
“Our love and passion for the sport overpower any fears of getting injured,” she added.
Said Theron: “But people don’t understand that it’s a passion, they are too quick to judge the sport. But this is about what we enjoy.”
And Bradley continued: “People portray it as a male sport and as soon as we tell them we train MMA, they judge us and say ‘that’s not a sport for a girl, girls should do this, girls should do that’. It shouldn’t be a gender-based issue.
“If you enjoy it and are good enough and strong enough, why not?”
Criticism does not deter them they say they would just like to grow the sport as much as possible and continue in it as long as they can.
“We say to women everywhere, whatever you do, come and get involved, –whether you are a karate champ or boxer, do ju jitsu or tae kwan do, come and test yourselves,” invited Bradley.
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