Maddie "The Captain" Kaufman

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I’m Maddie Kaufman also known as “the captain”. I’m 13 years old and I train in muay thai, which is a combat sport from Thailand where you can use punches, kicks, knees, and elbows. I started when I was about 5 years old, but I got really serious about it when I was 10.

Right now, I’m heading to the IFMA Youth World Championships in Greece to compete with Team USA, which has been my dream since I was little. One of the things I’m most proud of is winning a qualifier tournament in March where I was able to fight in a higher weight class and still won the higher bracket to earn my spot on the USA team.

Being an athlete to me means having discipline and working hard every single day, even when it’s tough and even on the days you might not want to. It’s also about pushing yourself to be better and never settling.

Elite Kickboxing Gym in Vista, CA under coach Ahmad Ibrahim, former professional fighter.
DISCIPLINE
TEAM USA
IFMA YOUTH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
MADDIE "THE CAPTAIN" KAUFMAN
HARD WORK
MUAY THAI

The Captain

Right now, I’m pursuing muay thai at a high level because I’ve always wanted to compete internationally and be the best I can be. I chose this sport because I like that it’s an individual sport but also feels like a team and a community. I can rely on myself and push myself as far as I want to go but I have the support of my gym and the people around me who are helping me become the best I can be.

What keeps me going, even on hard days, is my goals. I remind myself that everything I’m doing now is getting me closer to where I want to be. I also like challenging myself, because I know that’s the only way to improve.

One challenge I’ve had to overcome is pushing through the mental side of training. There are a lot of days where it would be easier not to run or not to train as hard, but I’ve learned to push past that and train like my opponent is training right there next to me.

I’ve definitely doubted myself before fights because I get really nervous. I even cry. What helps me is reminding myself how hard I’ve trained and telling myself that I’ve prepared as best I could, which gives me confidence.
WHEN YOU TRAIN LIKE A MONSTER