By Ryan McKinnon & Peyton Corrigan

Our first featured athlete in Muaythai Canada’s “2017 Youth Team Spotlight” campaign is Peyton ‘Princess’ Corrigan. Don’t let his nickname fool you. He is no damsel in distress. Rather, Peyton is a serious athlete who just returned home from the Thai Boxing Association’s World Muaythai Expo in Iowa, placing first in his division.

Like most Canadian boys, Peyton began his athletic journey in hockey, playing rep for 8 years. An interest in joining a wrestling team led him to Kalsamrit Gym in Bowmanville, Ontario. As luck would have it, Peyton discovered Muaythai at Kalsamrit, and fell in love with the art of 8 limbs immediately. Peyton tells Muaythai Canada, “I played hockey for 1 more year at the rep level, and then had to decide on which way I wanted to continue (my athletic career). Well for me this was a no-brainer; Muaythai all the way!” Many of us in the Canadian Muaythai community can totally relate to Peyton’s story.

The commitment to training, the team atmosphere, the high level of physical fitness, and the development of mental determination all resonated with Corrigan, who learned these skills as a very competitive hockey player. The two worlds meshed neatly for him. “Kalsamrit Gym is like a second family to me, and I always strive to improve. At our gym we train as a family and fight as a team.” Besides Muaythai, Peyton also trains and competes in BJJ, Boxing and Wrestling. Perhaps the next GSP is right under our noses?