‘Queen of the Ring’ seeks funds to go global

Thursday 22 August 2019

A local kickboxer, who disguises herself as an accountant during the day, is hoping to raise £2,000 to fund her travel costs to two major competitions where she will represent Jersey and Great Britain.

Monika Markowska will be taking part in the biggest Eastern European kickboxing tournament – the Diamond World Cup in Russia – next month, and in the WAKO Senior World Championships in Turkey in November.

Monika started training in kickboxing since she moved to the island, 15 years ago. For the past nine years, she has been number one in her weight division and a proud member of Great Britain National squad, while also representing Jersey during international competitions.

Over the years, she has collected many medals and titles: she was the first female K1 fighter to represent Great Britain in the K1 division in the World and Europeans Championships but also the first British female fighter to win a World title in the WAKO World Championships.

In 2017, one of her best years, she finished in the top three females across all ring disciplines and weight classes or to be named the 'Queen of the Ring' title.

Last year, she decided to add boxing to her already packed training regimen. She was however forced to slow down in January after a serious knee injury that tore one of the key ligaments as well as the meniscus. 

Pictured: Monika has been hard at work since her operation in April.

Although this was not Monika’s first injury, she struggled with the long weeks of recovery. Luckily, she was able to found support in an “amazing team” that including her partner, her coach, but also the fighters from the various clubs she teaches and trains at - Gracie Barra Channel Islands BJJ and MMA Academy, LH Fitness studio and Leonis Boxing Club - as well as her fellow instructors and students from the Jersey Taekwondo Club, which she runs.

“I think It’s the hardest part of being an athlete to deal with the injury and recovery time,” she admitted. “It took about three weeks and a huge dose of patience to get my normal level of fitness back to my pre-op levels, then another few weeks to build up the strength in the injured leg.

"The hardest part is the psychological side. It’s tough to have the same level of trust in my leg after such a major injury.”

Pictured: When she is not working, Monika is sweating on the tatami.

12 weeks have passed since her operation and Monika is currently training three times a day on most days to make up for the lost time. Ever positive, she says her injury has helped her strengthen her game by forcing to switch stances regularly, instead of fighting exclusively southpaw.

“I am trying to tick all the boxes and make sure I am prepared as best as I can,” she said. “It's the way I have prepared myself throughout my entire fighting career. I need to be confident that I have put the work in so that I can feel comfortable when the bell goes.

"If I am not at work, then you will find me at LH gym. Every day we will be in that ring leaving litres of sweat and passion there.”

Pictured: Monika is currently training three times a day on most days.

Whilst her training is going well, Monika has had a little more trouble collecting the necessary funds to travel to Russia and Turkey for her next competitions.

Although she is a member of the GB squad, she is classed as an individual athlete and is therefore not eligible for funding via national lottery funds or any of the government funding programs, leaving her to foot the bill for travel, accommodation, competitions and entry fees. 

She has therefore appealed to the generosity of islanders to help fund her participation in the Damion World Cup, which she describes as one of the toughest kickboxing competitions as well as one of the most expensive to get to from Jersey.

Taking part in the DWC will help Monika prep for the World Championships where she will represent GB in the under 52kg category. During her first participation with team GB in 2011, she won a Gold medal, followed by Silver and Bronze medals. 

This year, she is looking to reach for Gold again and is looking for donations to get her over her fundraising target of £2,000. With a total of £1,450 so far and a few weeks to go before she has to fly for Russia, she hopes to make it. 

Pictured: “I am an athlete, I love the sport the training and competing," Monika said.

“It's an honour to represent Great Britain and Jersey on the world stage,” Monika explained. “Since my selection to the national team, I have placed in a medal position in each international championship, but it is really hard to find the sponsors for every competition year after year, so on this occasion I thought I would try social media.

“I am an athlete, I love the sport the training and competing, but I am not a professional fundraiser, so I am finding it challenging to raise the funds and get sponsorships. Without some financial support, the reality is I simply will not be in a position to meet all the costs.”