Newcastle teen wins world kickboxing gold in Italy
Newcastle teen makes history with world kickboxing gold.
South Africa’s first para-kickboxing athlete, Jonathon Uys, proved his mettle on the world stage, winning first place in his division at the WAKO (World Association of Kickboxing Organisations) Youth World Kickboxing Championships in Italy.
Jonathon and his sister, Rolinda, were among 2840 junior athletes from 74 countries around the world, who participated in the tournament hosted in Venice, Italy, from September 18 to 27.
Jonathon brought home the gold, marking a historical triumph for himself, his team and the nation, while Rolinda placed ninth in her division.
17-year-old Jonathon, from Newcastle, was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome as well as Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) when he was in Grade 3.
With teachers who didn’t recognise or understand neurodivergence, and classmates who bullied him for being different, Jonathon’s early school days were a nightmare.
It was in kickboxing training where Jonathon learned how to protect himself against his childhood bullies and where his self-confidence soared.
“Apsergers changes the way you think. You see the world differently. You can’t see or understand emotions from looking at a person’s face or body language and you take everything literally even if it is meant as a joke,” Jonathon explains.
“It is upsetting to me when people in the Aspergers community are treated childishly and people speak down to you. However, I am grateful to my friends and family who always treat me with respect.”
“Kickboxing hasn’t just taught me how to protect myself from bullies. It has taught me self-control, discipline and when to back down. Knowing I can face my bullies has given me self-confidence, but I have learned that respect for others is also very important,” he continued.
Kickboxing builds confidence and discipline
For Jonathon, participating in the world kickboxing championships in Italy meant more than an opportunity to compete. It was about showing the people who have underestimated him his entire life what he is capable of.
He attributes his success to the fact that his sensei, Hendrik Booyse, never afforded him any special treatment during training just because he is ‘different’.
“From the first day I started kickboxing, he (Booyse) threw me in the deep end and said ‘Learn to fight or die’,” recalled Jonathon.
Within minutes of scoping out his competition at the world championships, Jonathon was confident he had a chance at gold.
Rolinda, who faced off against Polish athlete Sojda Aleksandra, wasn’t so sure however.
“My competitor towered over me. I had to look up to look her in the eye,” said Rolinda. “She was twice my size and she hit hard, but I learned a lot from competing.”
Jonathon faced a unique challenge he didn’t anticipate
The vuvuzelas blown by South African spectators made it difficult to focus and it took all he had to manage his ADHD so that the sound of the vuvuzelas wouldn’t break his concentration.
“I told myself, there’s a competition in front of me and I’m not going to win if I focus there,” he said.
Jonathon was scored by a panel of four judges according to speed, power, technique and how each punch and kick landed. He was the only para-athlete to score a perfect 10 out of 10 and was awarded a gold medal, which he happily points out is larger than the palm of his hand.
“Winning was very exciting. I screamed and pumped my hands in the air before giving my sensei a hug,” said Jonathon.
Besides the competition, the opportunity to participate presented an adventure of a lifetime for the young siblings, who, for the first time in their lives, travelled by bus, plane and ferry to, and within, a foreign country.
“The streets in Italy were so beautiful, clean and safe, and I wondered why the streets in South Africa couldn’t be like that, but my favourite part of the trip was the ferry ride,” said Jonathon, who later divulged that he had a ‘terrifying’ encounter with Italian law enforcement during the trip.
“I went for a walk and, during my walk, I bought an ice-cream. I put the receipt for my ice-cream in my pocket and didn’t realise that the receipt fell out of my pocket. The Italian police threatened to charge me for littering.
“I explained that I didn’t know I dropped the receipt and they let me go with a warning, but they said it was my final warning,” he recalls. “But the streets were so safe I could walk around alone at night.”
Rolinda said she really enjoyed visiting Venice and ‘singing the Italians off the bus’ with the rest of her team.
“We sang the South African anthem, some war cries and we even sang the wheels off the bus,” laughs Rolinda.
“When they started singing, I saw the locals sitting in their seats, giving them a vicious side-eye,” Jonathon pipes in.
At the age of 17, this was Jonathon’s first and last opportunity to participate in the Youth World Kickboxing Championships.
In two weeks, he participates in a tournament in Brakpan, where he has entered to compete as a normal athlete.
“The other competitors don’t know him in Brakpan, so he won’t be afforded any special treatment as a para-athlete. He’s proved what he is capable of, so we believe it’s time for him to face off with normal athletes,” says Jonathon and Rolinda’s mother, Malinda.
To make a contribution towards Jonathon’s promising future in kickboxing, contact Malinda Uys on 084 054 7024.
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