We are excited to have Wolves Den athlete and coach Kevin Kophamel back in the gym after spending some time overseas competing at the GAMMA World Championships and visiting his home country of Ireland 🇮🇪. We thought this was the perfect time to catch up about his experience representing Australia before he gets back to putting us through our paces in his regular classes.
Competing at the World Championships was a great opportunity for you to progress as an athlete, what was your mindset like going into the competition?
My mindset was highly motivated and I was super excited to compete. I was very nervous too but mostly just eager to go and have fun.
How did you find the atmosphere over there? What was the vibe like amongst the Australian team?
Being in the team was an unreal experience, to rep Australia on the world stage, an opportunity like that doesn't come by often and I was so excited to rep both the Den and Australia.
Can you break down your four fights - how did you feel going into each fight, how do you feel you did, were there any highlights?
1st fight I was nervous as there was a big build up and the moment was finally there. I was very amped to put on a good performance and do my best. He was tall and rangy so I knew I would need to get inside and damage or go for the takedown. Once I landed a few on the feet I got a takedown and managed to control him until the finish came.
The 2nd fight I had similar emotions but more confidence and was now facing a very good striker. I knew I would need to get respect in the striking so I came out high paced and managed to strongly check his first kick, I felt from that point I had established the first mental win. So I then threw a head kick to create some unpredictability and show I'm game. In the 2nd round I was surprised he attempted a takedown, but I managed to escape and end up on top. I felt from this point I dominated in both areas of the fight and kept landing solid ground and pound until the finish came.
The 3rd fight was insane! It was back and forth with a very high level opponent who had lots of experience. He threw me like a rag doll and made me front flip which was an experience I've never had before, my life flashed before my eyes but I stood up and all I was thinking was oh my gosh that was nuts .... I need to land something big, then in the last 10 seconds of the round I threw a heavy combo and dropped him. I didn't finish him but I was pumping with adrenaline for the next round. The following 2 rounds were a war and I took a huge knee to my ribs that completely winded me in the 2nd round. I knew I needed a big finish in the 3rd... He got my back in the last round and I escaped and got on top and proceeded to throw as many shots I could and I won by decision. This was my favourite fight of my career and certainly the most high level. I was so happy with the win but as the adrenaline wore off I realised my ribs were really bad which worried me for the final
The final fight I was really nervous because I was struggling to breathe and move due to my ribs. I didn't want to pull out of the fight after getting so far so I pushed through and fought. I was really affected by the injury in the fight but no excuses. He performed well and controlled me to win the fight. I was very upset afterwards because I felt that if i didn't sustain the injury that I could have performed better
You obviously fought a lot over a few days, how did you manage your recovery between each bout, any tips on staying fresh?
I just focused on rehydrating and re-fueling after the fights and tried to get good sleep. But it was hard to not celebrate and eat heaps after winning fights 😂
How was it competing in Amsterdam, anything in particular you enjoyed about your time there?
Amsterdam was a great venue for the championships, I really enjoyed the culture and the food and atmosphere afterwards
You came away with a silver medal in your division, an amazing achievement! How do you feel about your overall performance? What’s next for you?
I was pleased to get that far and represent Wolves Den and Australia as a Silver Medalist. However, I am still upset and frustrated with the final fight as I was not 100% mentally or physically. Overall though it was an amazing experience and wouldn't change it for the world. I have learned a lot and look forward to recovering and making a return 👊🏼
We're all pumped for to Kevin's awesome classes recommencing this week, make sure you don't miss out!
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