Fighting spirit in medal haul Perth trio shine at world tournament in Italy
The Italian job was a successful one for three Perth fighters who travelled to the Unified World Championships.
Style Combat Fitness members Nathan Bartlett, Shay Barnett and James ‘Jimmy’ McGregor were all in action at the high-profile martial arts event.
Held in the city of Carrara, Tuscany, the talented trio managed to scoop eight medals across various disciplines and age groups.
Coach Ryan Lyall, who also jetted out to the event, praised the dedication of his team and was delighted with their performances across the week.
“It was a good tournament and the venue was where I actually went for my first ever world championships back in 2002,” Ryan said.
“The lads did well and were out of their comfort zone, away in a different country. It was a real experience for them all.
“The level of competition was good. To qualify for a world championships, you need to be the best in your country.
“With it being in Italy, there were a lot of different Italian teams. But we came up against French, Ukrainian, English and more.
“It was definitely a high standard but we managed to come back with two golds, five silvers and one bronze.
“I expected them to do well because they had trained well. But to come back with eight medals with three fighters is a fair old haul.”
After four days of high quality action, there was enough time for the group to enjoy a spot of sightseeing.
“Our flight back on the Monday wasn’t until late at night, so we packed our bags, checked out and went up to Pisa,” Ryan said.
“We then drove over to Milan so there was a wee bit of exploring. During the week it was a case of fight, home, food and then bed.
“It’s tiring and we need to remember they fund this all themselves. It’s not a holiday and it isn’t cheap.”
Ryan highlighted getting to this stage has required the team to put in a monumental effort.
“Jimmy is only eight and the event was really good for him,” Ryan continued. “He is in the gym at classes five times a week.
“Shay and Nathan are in the gym, pretty much, six days a week with their training. They coach as well.
“There have been massive improvements. When we started off, we were just doing Scottish tournaments and the odd event.
“But now we are travelling the world fighting. There isn’t really anyone else doing that in Perth. We’re going out of our comfort zone.”
There is little time for rest as Ryan now looks ahead to his own show on November 23, which will be held at the Letham Centre.
“It doesn’t stop for us,” he said. “We’re looking at taking Shay over to Thailand next year and he still has to train with Scotland once a month.
“And I’ve got my show on November 23 at the Letham Centre. We’ll have a couple of days rest, heal up and then get back into training.
“I think the venue can hold more than 300, but we’ve put 250 tickets out on sale. Most of those are gone.
“I was actually supposed to be fighting but picked up a wee shoulder injury in my last fight.”