Young Winnipeg muay Thai fighter kicks the competition at national tournament

An 11-year-oldmuay Thai fighter from Winnipeg is being touted as a bright part of the sport's future in Canada after a gold-medal performance on the national stage last month.

Abigail Alerta has been training and competing in the kick-boxing-like discipline for the past three years and she has yet to lose a fight.

In October,Alerta brought home a gold medal in the girls novice age 11-12 junior middleweight division fromthe 2018 Canadian Muay Thai Championships held in Markham, Ont.

She was also named youth athlete of tournament.

"She's really proven that she's an elite athlete," said Sarah Carter, a member of Canada's nationalmuay Thai team who trains with Alerta at Winnipeg's Nak Muay Gym.

"She is fearless and she also knows how to work incredibly hard without having to be pushed."

Muay Thai is a combat sport that originated in Thailand. It's a type of boxing that incorporates the use of fists, elbows, knees and shins to strike the opponent.

Alerta said she likes the training.

"I like to learn new things," she said, andthe win at nationals made all the work worthwhile.

"It was really exciting and it made me feel really happy because it's a gold medal usually I just win a trophy.

"But a gold medal makes me feel really proud of myself."

'She does the work'

Her coach, DangerousDave Zuniga, who owns Nak Muay Gym and fought professionally for more than two decades, saidAlerta's dedication to the sport makes training her easy.

"You tell her to run five miles and she runs 10 she does the work," he said.

And Zuniga said with four wins in her first four fights, she's on a roll.

He's now looking at getting her into the ring for next year's World Young Championships in Bangkok, Thailand.

She may also find herself on Canada's national youth team in the next year or two, said Carter, who at the age of 28 has made a name for herself internationally as a muay Thai fighter.

While muay Thai isn't in the Olympicsyet it's currently a demonstration sport Carter said if Alerta sticks with her training, she very well could end up fighting for Canada if and when the sport becomes an Olympic event.

"She has fun, and when you're a kid, if you're not able to have fun, you're not going to do well, but she loves it," said Carter.

"In 10 years, if the Olympics are happening, Abby will be there for sure."

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