Long and lean Nathan Leehy was as chipper as the ducks on the pond at Bicentennial Park. To be sure, the 29-year-old Tamworthian was basking in glory on a glorious spring morning.
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By his side was his German-born wife, Gioia, who believes she was more nervous than her man when he stepped into the ring, at St Mary's Band Club in Sydney on Friday night, in search of his first Muay Thai win.
Leehy's points win over Sydneysider Ben Said left him feeling "overwhelmed", after he lost his debut fight in September.
"It all just worked out," said Leehy, who attributed his triumph to learning from his first bout and this time utilising his 198cm frame to "control the distance".
Read more: Nathan Leehy and the making of a fighter
The Longyard Hotel greenskeeper, who also works as a plasterer, was also able to fulfil a must for all successful combat-sport athletes: he did not let his opponent's likeability distract him from what needed to be done.
"He was a really, really nice guy," Leehy said of Said. "I don't know, you fight someone that's not a nice guy and you feel better about fighting him."
Leehy said that as soon as he entered the ring, he parked his affability - which he has loads of - and was all business. Now, the former Thunderbolts junior can't wait to experience that rush again.
"Scott was telling me I could go for a title," he said of his trainer, Scott Chaffey. "So see what I can do there."
Leehy met Gioia at the Longyard when she was working as an au pair in Tamworth. "I seen her from across the bar," he said.
Gioia "loves" being married to a fighter. "I've always wanted him to do it, because he gets to be so focused and so determined," she said.
"I think it's really good. He works out a lot. He just really works on himself. I love it."
She continued: "He's never that nervous, and I get so nervous the day before [fights]. But it's OK. I can carry it [the nerves] for him and he can stay calm."
Gioia hails from Salzgitter, a smallish city in Lower Saxony. She said it was "pretty much like Tamworth".
"They're all very supportive," she said of her family back home. "They're all watching his fights; I have to send it to them. They actually all love it."
Chaffey said he was "really happy" with Leehy's growth as a fighter, adding: "He showed a lot of potential, and we are keen to see him have a big 2023."
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Mark Bode
I’m passionate about writing stories that resonate with people. And I’m genuinely interested in the people I interview; I want to know about them and present their stories in a meaningful way.
I’m passionate about writing stories that resonate with people. And I’m genuinely interested in the people I interview; I want to know about them and present their stories in a meaningful way.
