Medals won on the mat

THREE young athletes from Mildura Brazilian Jiu Jitsu have returned from a NSW event sharing in a gold, two silvers and a bronze.

Bodey Burnham was first up at the Gracie Elite Central Coast opens and put on a dominant performance in the Gi, finishing all of his fights from the back and taking home the gold.

Coach Luke Burnham said it was great to see Bodey demonstrate his skills in competition.

“He won both by submission which was awesome,” Luke said.

“We have struggled in the past to get his gym performances to match his mat performances and on the weekend he dominated, he found out what works for him and how he can get his mindset on.

“It has never been a nerves thing for him, it is how do I make it happen in comp, and it is great because he is a monster and now he has put it out there on the mat.”

Two scholarship students also competed with Harmony Baxter winning silver and Tyler Carter taking home a bronze and a silver.

“It was Harmony’s second comp and she had to go up age and weight bracket,” Burnham said.

“She had a straight final where the girl was a bit too big for her, but she did well and she gave everything she had. Being her second comp I’m pretty proud of that effort.

“Tyler got bronze in her Gi division, then she entered the super division, which was No-Gi boys and girls and the teams in this division are the best in Australia.”

“The girls filled the podium, beating the boys. Tyler subbed a girl in the previous round then lost the final by four points, grabbing a silver.”

Burnham said overall he was pleased with how the team performed.

“It is an event we try to go to yearly, our professor runs it up there and it is always a good challenge because Sydney and Melbourne are the benchmark for jiu-jitsu in the country,” he said.

“To have our little gym travel there and go up against the biggest teams in Australia is as good challenge and everyone did really well so I am stoked.”

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