Dundonald MMA gym proud to make a difference in its community

A Dundonald MMA gym is growing from strength to strength after celebrating success at a recent British Championships.

RAPTR currently has over 100 members ranging from the age of four to "40 and beyond".

They teach multiple Mixed Martial Arts and self-defence through Jeet Kune Do including Ju-jitsu, Savate, Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Grappling Arts and the Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) of Kali/Escrima/Arnis.

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Last month the club competed at the Northern Ireland Open and British Savate Championships and came away with four gold medals.

Savate is a hugely popular form of French kickboxing that is minimal contact, making it appealing to both young people and adults.

"We had four children who won their categories, so we have four British champions which is incredible," said RAPTR coach and co-owner Sarah Seawright.

"They were all girls - Haley Herron (9), Lacey Hennessey (8) and her sister Demi (13), and Séana McRandal (17).

"Demi actually faced her older sister Frankie (15) in the final, so they took gold and silver home with them. So it is a house of champions.

"That family is a story on its own. The final between Demi and Frankie could have gone either way.

"The aim now is to send all those girls to the European Championships this summer. That is the next big target and we will be fundraising for those championships in Austria.

"The club has to raise all the funds for the trip but we can't wait for that."

RAPTR launched its new gym in Dundonald in November last year, but their opening was delayed by two years due to the Covid pandemic.

They had managed to run a trial event in March 2020 before the first lockdown was introduced, forcing the club and its