“I was born in Lebanon and went to school in Orford, so I have been in the Upper Valley my whole life. In my childhood I had a hard time navigating the lack of opportunities. The community around here in the surrounding areas is pretty small.
I got into Muay Thai fighting because I wanted to compete in something more serious than normal school sports. I used to play soccer but I felt that wasn’t competitive enough. I decided to pick up a combat sport and fell in love with Muay Thai. It’s like boxing but, in addition to punching, you are allowed to kick, elbow, and knee.
There are two different types of training. There is my normal training, where I go to the gym 3-5 days a week to stay in shape, hit the heavy bag, and have people hold pads for me. Then there is fight camp, which happens when I find out I have a fight. Fight camp happens 6 to 12 weeks before the competition where change my diet, and I go to the gym usually 9 times a week – sometimes twice a day. This is to get me in shape and make weight for the fight. It is a lot more intense, and sparring becomes more like real fighting, so you get used to it.
I have such a competitive nature in anything I do, and Muay Thai helps me regulate and channel this energy. I think it is a lot of fun and it motivates me to be the best version of myself. I want to live up to my full potential. I don’t want to look back on life and have any ‘what ifs’.”
– Wyatt Guillette, Fairlee, VT
