In the world of combat sports, a remarkable story emerged from Abu Dhabi last week. What if I told you that a 16-year-old from Dufferin County just accomplished what few Canadian athletes have ever achieved?
The 2025 IFMA Youth World Championships saw Team Canada’s delegation of 21 youth athletes and 11 coaches competing against the world’s elite. Among them stood Oshiya Newby-Morgan, training under Kru Martello at Art Of 8 Martial Arts Academy in Orangeville. What happened next would rewrite Canadian sports history.
When the dust settled and the medals were awarded, Oshiya stood atop the podium, gold medal around her neck, our national anthem playing, the maple leaf flag waving proudly. She had defeated competitors from Morocco (silver) and Russia (bronze) to become the best in her division.
Here’s what makes this achievement extraordinary: Oshiya is now the first athlete from Dufferin County to win gold at an IFMA event. She’s the first Black Canadian female to claim this honour, and she maintains an undefeated record, a rarity in Muay Thai, especially for female athletes.
Team Canada returned with impressive results: 2 gold, 3 silver, and 4 bronze medals. Yet, these achievements highlight a troubling reality. While countries like Russia brought 113 fully-funded athletes, our Canadian talent competes despite minimal government support.
Imagine what our athletes could accomplish with proper funding. Imagine how many more young people could find their path to greatness through martial arts. Oshiya’s journey shows us what’s possible when talent meets opportunity, when discipline meets dreams.
Her victory isn’t just hers, it belongs to our community, to every young person who dares to dream big.
What barriers will you help break today? Share Oshiya’s story and join the movement supporting Canadian athletes in their pursuit of excellence.
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