Sudbury MMA acts as host to the first ever Northern Ontario Kickboxing Spar-A-Thon

The Northern Ontario mixed martial arts (MMA) community met on the mats Feb. 15, raising $1,310 for the YMCA Strong Kids Campaign at the inaugural Northern Ontario Kickboxing Spar-A-Thon.

Around 10 youth and 40 adults from gyms across North Bay and Greater Sudbury participated in the event, hosted at Sudbury MMA, with skill levels ranging from recreational to that of a professional fighter, said Sonia Paquette, Sudbury MMA instructor.

All of which had the opportunity to spar an unlimited number of times in the two-hour, point-free, open-mat style event.

"It couldn't have been a success without the participation of all the awesome gyms," said Paquette, "it was a team effort."

The purpose of the Spar-A-Thon was to bring the Northern Ontario kickboxing community together for a friendly sparing day, said Paquette, and it was a great success. In addition to raising money for a worthy cause, the event allowed athletes to make new connections, test their skills but most importantly, have fun.

There are not a lot of opportunities for kickboxers to compete in Northern Ontario aside from Northern Fights and an annual tournament held in Timmins, explained Paquette. Making events such as these even more important to athletes and the growing Northern Ontario MMA community they represent.

Paquette has trained in the field of MMA for 15 years, three of which have been at Sudbury MMA, where for two years she has acted as both athlete and coach.

One of her roles is that of instructor to several Sudbury MMA children's programs, where she has seen first-hand the influence sport has on the behaviour of a child.

"You see their confidence sore as well as their ability to communicate and make new friends," she said. "Whether their doing martial arts or summer camps, any kind of activity is good for kids."

YMCA Strong Kids is an annual fundraising campaign focused on supporting the participation of children, teens and young adults, in safe and supportive YMCA programs.

Find more information on the YMCA Strong Kids Campaign and how to contribute, here.

Spar-A-Thon participants: