Bradshaw does the double

NORTHSIDE Kickboxer Lauren Bradshaw was crowned WAKO World Champion, not only once but twice at the recent WAKO Kickboxing World Championships.

The ‘fighting Dub', who is no stranger to international success, fought in two disciplines at the championships and came out on tops in both. 

Bradshaw, who currently holds the European title, fought in the 70kg divisions of Light Continuous sparring and Kick Light sparring.

Light Continuous is an action packed discipline of Kickboxing where, like boxing, scores are accumulated over three two-minute rounds.

Kick Light is similar only the upper legs become legitimate scoring targets also, similar to K1 and low kick. 

The world championships, which was staged in Budapest, Hungary, attracted 60 countries from across all five continents and had 1,553 competitors fight it out over five days for the coveted WAKO title, the most prestigious title in the amateur sport of Kickboxing. 

Lauren had to beat competitors from Croatia, India and Poland to meet a Russian pro boxer in her final of the Light Continuous.

The Cabra girl was just too strong and experienced for the Russian fighter who tried desperately to adapt to Lauren's tactics, but just couldn't keep up.

After three explosive rounds in the final, Lauren was crowned champion of the world in light continuous. 

In her Kick Light bouts she had to face competitors from South Africa, Chile and Italy in the final.

Again Lauren was just too smart for the Italian fighter and she took her second world title with a unanimous decision. 

Lauren's double win at the world championships tops off a hugely successful year for the Cabra Kickboxer.

She took gold at this year’s Irish Open World Cup, and also took gold at the Dutch Open World Cup and silver at the Hungarian Open World Cup lining her up to be the most accomplished female Light Continuous fighter to come out of Ireland.

Lauren is currently ranked number 1 in the world across all weight categories.

But in her usual laid-back style, she was humble in her victories.

"Yeah, it's been a hugely successful year for me,” she said.

“Success like this doesn't come easy and it doesn't come quickly. I've been chasing these titles for a long time now.

“I've been training since I was seven years of age and I was lucky enough to train with one of  the most brilliant tactical coaches in the world – so it's really a team effort."

Jon Mackey has been Lauren's coach since day one. He is also head coach for Kickboxing Ireland's Light Continuous division. 

"Jon has a unique understanding of the sport,” Lauren said.

“He's the Billy Walsh of amateur kickboxing! These wins are as much his and a testament to the work he has put in to me since I became a regular member of the Irish national team."

Lauren's double gold closes a very successful year for her and her club, Red Star Kickboxing, which is based on Nore Road in Glasnevin. 

Lauren won't rest until closer to Christmas as she teaches her classes every week at Red Star Kickboxing. She has a very popular class of Little Kickboxers who will hopefully follow in her footsteps well into the future.

Red Star already has a few rising stars in its ranks. Earlier this year Finglas girls Eliza Bluma and Robyn McDonnell and Dayna Walsh and Nazreen Flannery from Cabra from the club represented Ireland at the WAKO European kickboxing championships for juniors in Skopje, Macedonia.