Feud's Five For Fighters: Bryony Soden
Bryony Soden is the current WBC Featherweight Australian Champion. She hails from Port Kennedy in Western Australia. She is one of the most active Muay Thai content creators and is making it her mission to build the sport and make Muay Thai a household name.
Here are Bryony's Five Questions:
Can you tell us about your background and how you got started in Muay Thai?
I grew up having 3 older brothers all born within 5 years of each other. Between the constant play fights and mischievous adventures we would get up to I found myself idolising them. This led me to starting Judo as young as 4 years old, competing several times a year, against boys, against girls much heavier than me, up until I was 14 years old. It was the persistency of competing against and wanting to be strong like my brothers that set the subconscious foundation of what I am in the ring today.
At the end of high school I felt unfulfilled as my fitness journey was just lifting weights at the gym, so I’d looked jacked. I ran laps at a school carnival and discovered I was not actually fit and healthy. The following week I watched my brother fight under David McVicker, my trainer now, for the first time. Never before had I seen him fight with such athleticism and skill. I witnessed him KO his opponent in the first round. That was the moment I sat there and told myself, I want to do that. The next day I tried Muaythai, Dave told me I had potential and I committed myself to train everyday since.
What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your fighting career so far?
My biggest challenge has been burn out. I love to train hard, going 100% everyday for me is easy. I spent my first 9 fights over 14 months doing this, I crashed hard. It taught me a massive lesson of building a system that supports what I need to grow as a person and as a fighter. It led me to investing in nutrition, boxing, strength training, mind coaching, working for myself and learning everyday about self improvement. With the correct system in place and a team of people who believe in you, forward momentum is just inevitable regardless of me having to go 100%.
What’s the most embarrassing song on your training playlist?
Haha probably Irregular Heartbeat by 50 cent. Absolute cringe but it makes me train tough 🤣
How do you handle the pressures of competition and performing in front of a large crowd?
Own the ring. Own the moment. Go in there knowing that it is already mine and all I have to do is what I do every night at training. I have one thing in my mind and that’s to hurt the woman standing across from me in the ring, everything else just zones out. I truly believe I was born to fight.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to anyone thinking about starting Muay Thai.
Listen to yourself, you know what feels right for you. If you go into your first Muaythai class to try something different and you end up leaving having fun and have learnt something. Use that as a sign to keep investing into yourself. Muaythai may not seem like it’s going to change your life at first but trust me.. after years of showing up for yourself in that way your confidence in every aspect of your life is bound to soar. It will only make your life better.
Follow Bryony @bryony.soden
Follow Three Lions Gym @threelionsgyms
https://bryonysoden.wixsite.com/website