Toowoomba martial artist ready to take on Australia's best
Toowoomba's Keely Geiger ready to face Australia's best at Brazilian Jiu Jitsu championships
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MARTIAL ARTS: Keely Geiger possesses an air of confidence more experienced athletes would be jealous of.
The Toowoomba 14-year-old is reserved and humble but also determined and focused.
Qualities that will be key to her performance at this weekend's Australian Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation championships in Melbourne.
Geiger will compete at the championships after winning gold in the Under-15 Open Girls Gi and silver U15 Girls No Gi events at the Queensland Championships.
"I train three times a week - working on technique, competition rolling with more experienced members, strength and conditioning,” Geiger said.
"I try to train as hard as I want to compete.
"That's important to me because I feel if you don't train hard then you won't be able to compete at that level.
Geiger, who took up Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at age 10 to improve her confidence after being bullied, confessed she still gets a little bit nervous before competitive matches.
"I jump around - I have a lot of nervous energy,” she said.
"When you train and do all that work you think it will help when you compete and it does.
"But it's also very different when you're competing.
"You're competing against people you don't know, you're away from home and then there's the crowd as well - it's all real now.
"I try to focus on all the work I've done in the gym - the things I've worked on, the advice I've been given, all the help and support I've received.
"I just try to get into the right mindset and give it my all.”
Originally published as Toowoomba martial artist ready to take on Australia's best
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