“I would say these last few years are definitely the hardest I have ever pushed my body, physically and mentally.” Olly Luscombe is a 20 year old biomedical science student studying at the university of Gloucestershire but Olly is also determined to make it as a professional fighter in the world of Muay Thai.
Olly is in his final year of university now but has not given up on his dream to become a professional fighter but he also understands that his education does have to come first sometimes.
“Muay Thai needs full time commitment and with the weight of pressure I have from university work it is not possible to be 100 percent committed a lot of the time.”
University is a lot of work especially in your final year especially when you are studying a tough degree to pass like biomedical science.
“Due to their being no Muay Thai gyms in Gloucester , it makes my financial situation quite depressing to be honest,
“I have had to choose multiple times between whether I want a weekly shop or to pay for classes for a week .”
Despite the financial strain, Olly has never thought about quitting.
“I don’t fight for money, I fight because I love the sport.
“No amount of money could bring me the joy this sport does.”
Olly has sometimes had to take months out of the sport he loves due to an important exam or assignment. This obviously isn’t ideal for Olly but he realises that sometimes he has to make sacrifices.
“I’ve had to take long breaks out of the sport,
“Sometimes it just feels like I’m taking on too much and believe it or not the constant hits to my head take a toll.”
It is known that mixed martial arts can cause damage to your brain obviously due to the multiple punches and kicks you receive to the head. The damage can be minor but it can also be life changing to an unlucky few.
“I sometimes wonder how smart I could have actually been,
“Not to brag but I have always been quite a bright kid even since my sats,
“It does get me down sometimes when I think about what my full potential could have been academically.”
Mental health is so important and finding the mix between work and fun in your life is beyond important. For a lot of people like Olly, sport is so important to their mental health and has really helped them through tough times.
“I have no regrets (starting Muay Thai) and I’m so happy it found me when it did,
“I was in a weird place in life and Muay Thai became a constant I could rely on.”
Olly is looking to fight as soon as he can but admits that it’s unlikely to be any time soon.
“I am jam packed with University work until about the end of May,
“As soon as I hand in my final assignment I will be looking to sort something out asap.”
If you would like to see Olly in action, feel free to watch the video below.
