West Kirby teenager defending world kickboxing title

May 6 2009 by Carrie Catterall, Heswall News

A TEENAGE kickboxing champion will defend her European title this month before competing in the world championships.

Jenni Croft, 15, is set to come up against the top kick-boxers from around the globe in the two major WUMA Championships held in May and October.

The West Kirby Grammar School pupil, only started martial arts three years ago and was surprised to discover she had a natural talent for it.

Within weeks of starting the sport she won her first fight and continued her winning streak, losing only two fights since.

She took the winning titles from the Midlands Open Championship, the WUMA Welsh Open, the North Welsh Open and English Open before winning the WUMA European Championship 2008 title at Worcester, which she will fight to keep on May 24.

Jenni said: “My cousin used to go kick-boxing and dragged me along one day.

“I’m quite quiet and until that class I’d never had a fight in my life.

“My first fight was really hard, it was horrible, I was so nervous I felt sick.

“But after that I found I got a real buzz from the fights.

“A few of my friends came to see me once and I think they were really shocked because I was so different from the Jenni they knew.”

Since gaining her black belt the kickboxer has started teaching some of the younger pupils at the Elite House of Champions where she trains.

Glenice Robinson, West Kirby Grammar School head teacher, said:

“To advance to European Championship level in just three years, having never tried the sport before, is a remarkable achievement.

“The whole school will be behind her as she defends her title.”