June Isaac, Natasha Mitrevski, Siena Corte selected for NSW junior team in Australian Boxing League

Three girls from southwest Sydney, backed by their female sensei, are ready to knock out stereotypes and show off their martial arts skills at the upcoming Australian Boxing League.

The young girls are supported by their coach and sensei GDS Training Force owner Georgina Saab.

Three young southwest Sydney girls are ready to knock out stereotypes as they prepare to represent NSW in the Australian Boxing League.

They will be guided by their female sensei, Georgina Saab, who knows all too clearly why women should be able to defend themselves after she and her husband were the target of a violent group.

Oran Park’s June Isaac, 10, Fairfield West’s Natasha Mitrevski, 12, and Catherine Fields’ Siena Corte, 13, were all selected after the league announced its first-ever Junior team trials for a NSW in May this year.

The girls competed in three trial events in Tamworth, Dubbo and Newcsatle where they were put through training drills and showcased their skills by fighting other juniors from across NSW.

Isaac got into boxing as her parents were huge fans of the UFC and said she was proud to represent NSW, while the other two girls entered the sport to learn self-defence.

Natasha Mitrevski.

June Isaac.

“My parents thought it was a good idea for me at four years old to learn how to defend myself,” Mitrevski said.

“It was amazing [to make the team], and I was relieved to have made it through the hard team selection process,” Corte added.

Despite their young age, all three recognise the importance of having female representation in martial arts and boxing.

“I think it is really important because most people would stereotype martial arts as a male sport. I’m really happy to have made the team with two of my female teammates and have my coach as my female sensei,” Isaac said.

“It’s important because it shows that females can rise in a male-dominated sport,” Corte added.

All three girls said they loved fighting competitively, with Corte saying she loved the bonds and friendships they had created in the sport.

“We are family at GDS Training Force,” Corte said.

Siena Corte.

GDS Training Force sensei Georgina Saab has been working with the girls at her gym in Gregory Hills and was selected to be the head female coach for the team.

Ms Saab started GDS in Gregory Hills four years ago and they moved into their full-time facility late last year due to the demand. Of the 200 students enrolled, about 65 per cent are female.

“We do have a lot of boys come along but we are very female dominant,” Ms Saab said. “We have two main trainers who are female and our most talented fighters are females and there is definitely increasing demand.

“It’s empowering beyond words to mentor young girls over the years and to achieve an industry benchmark within women’s self-defence.”

Next weekend, the three girls will fight on the Big Bash 10th Anniversary at the Brighton Civic Center, Tasmania, where they will each compete in one fight. They will return to the same state again in November to take part in a national tournament.