Nathan Leehy - a 198cm statement - is on a path to possible destruction ... his or someone else's.
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Leehy's German-born wife, Gioia, supports his quest to - at age 27 - remodel himself as a Muay Thai fighter; his mother, Berry, is not so supportive.
Mother Leehy "reckons it's not right", said the ex-Thunderbolts junior.
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But Gioia "really likes" that he had "taken this onboard", he said, adding: "She thinks it's the right thing."
"She's been to a few training sessions," he continued, "and she doesn't know much about the sport, but she sees that I'm comfortable with what I'm doing."
Leehy hopes to be just that, and more, when he makes his ring debut representing Chaffey's Black Belt Academy.
He wants to fight in December, but would be unfazed if that did not happen; the more training he does, the better. His scheduled first bout, in July, was cancelled due to COVID-19.
On the cusp of his 28th birthday, Leehy believes he has finally found his sporting sweet spot, as his home and work lives also leave him feeling fulfilled.
"I've always had a love for sport, but I suppose other things got in the way during life," he said.
"And I've always heard really, really good news about Scotty [Chaffey, his trainer]. So I just thought I'd poke my head in there one day [early this year].
"And it seems to be something I pick up quite quickly, so I'm sticking with it."
The former plasterer now operates heavy machinery for the Tamworth Regional Council. "They're good toys I like to play with."
He met Gioia, who hails from Hannover, several years ago when she worked as an au pair in Tamworth. "I seen her from across the bar."
They spent some two years living in Campbelltown while Gioia did a child care-related university degree and qualified for a visa to stay in Australia.
The couple moved back to Tamworth last year. "They're getting smashed," Leehy said of COVID's impact on Western Sydney. "So it was good we moved away as soon as we could."
Chaffey said Leehy arrived at his gym with "very clear goals of competing in combat sports, "picked things up very quickly" and had a "great future in the sport" if he applied himself.
"He has fitted in really well with our team and is a really likeable guy."
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