World Kickboxing Champion brings home double gold

A talented Teesside University student is celebrating after securing two gold medals at a prestigious competition.

Mary Corbyn, a second year BSc (Hons) Professional Policing student, recently returned victorious from the ISKA World Championships in Germany.

She remains undefeated at the World Championships in her senior kickboxing career, after competing against fighters from across Europe.

Mary, who is on the Performance Sport Scholarship at Teesside University to support her sporting career while studying, now holds the IBKO English Title, ISKA World Title, and two ISKA World Open Titles.

She said: ‘Winning my first world title has been the biggest highlight of my career. I have always dreamed of winning a world title since I started kickboxing at the age of seven.

‘I have just started competing as a senior. As a junior I won various titles over the years including Northern, English, British, European and World Open Titles.

‘Teesside University’s support has been amazing. Without the Performance Sport Scholarship I wouldn’t have been able to compete in Germany as finding the funds is difficult. Balancing my studies and training together has been difficult but I manage to find enough time.

‘My biggest challenge in my career was when I was 16, I had a couple of losses and found it hard to bounce back. After a few months of hard work and dedication I found my way again and started to love the sport more than ever.

‘My goal is to see how many titles I can add to my collection and pass on my knowledge to the younger generation. My next fight is 26 November and after that I hope to be competing in New York.’

Caitlin Chapman, one of Mary’s Seniors Instructor at Impact College of Martial Arts and PhD Chemistry student said: ‘Mary works incredibly hard, and she is a very dedicated and determined individual who deserves all the success she is getting.’

Teesside University’s Performance Sport Scholarship Scheme provides support and opportunities for motivated student athletes towards academic and sporting excellence.

Will Jones, Head of Sport at Teesside University, said: ‘We are committed to providing our sporting students with all the support they need to excel in their chosen field. The Performance Sport Scholarship is an excellent example of this and provides a wide range of tailored support to help students reach their sporting potential while studying towards a degree.

‘We are extremely proud of Mary’s achievements and look forward to seeing what she goes on to achieve.’

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