I’d like to start this off by thanking you for taking the time to speak to me today Ako.
“Thank you for having me.”
Fight fans were saddened to hear of your unfortunate injury which has kept you from your highly anticipated return to the CWSE cage. It’s an unfortunate situation for all contact sport practitioners when an injury blocks your journey. What was going through your mind when it occurred?
“When the injury occurred, the first thing that came to mind was that I won’t be able to fight at CWSE. I had been asked to do a couple of different shows at a very similar time as CWSE but all the fights were gone.”
The recovery period seems to be going well, and it has certainly not dampened your spirits. On my visit to GBTT you have been making great progress in regards to continuing your training and keeping your. fixated on your enviable return. What has been your main focus during recovery?
“During this recovery period, my main focus was not to get unfit, but also not to gain weight from not being able to train as much as I used to. I tried to do whatever I could do, such as upper body training. Skierg became my best friend. I started with sitting on the bench, then standing on one foot, injured leg with a knee on the bench. I did 9km 3 days a week and 2 days with a sprint. I actually enjoyed doing it. It was a discovery for me.”
With such a great rehabilitation team at GBTT, it must put your mind at rest that you are in the hands of some of the country’s best?
“Yes, we have an amazing team and physio too. Anything happens, he will check on everyone straight away.”
Last we saw you in action was back in November 2021 taking your 1st step on the amateur circuit and narrowly missing out on the W despite a valiant effort against a very well rounded Chloe Cook at CWSE26. Now the proverbial dust has settled and you’ve had time to reflect on your bout with Chloe, what did you take from your 1st outing?
“Yes, fighting with Chole was an amazing experience for me. She is such an experienced fighter. Looking back at the fight now, I can see I had a lack of experience. I was focusing on one thing during the fight and I couldn’t adjust to what was happening at that time. If I think about it now, I could see what I should have done. It’s all a learning curve.”
With recovery going extremely well, you must be looking forward to getting back in there. Are there any athletes in particular you’d like to be matched up against upon your enviable return?
“I have no one in particular who I’d want to fight. I’d be happy to take any fight.”
Thank you so much for taking the time out to speak to me today Ako, I hope the rest of your recovery goes well.
Last but not least do you have a message for your ever-growing fan base and anybody you’d like to give a shout out to?
“Thank you to everyone who supported me, especially during my injury, I won’t lie, there was a time that I felt so low, desperate to train and devastated but I have got a great team who always helps and supports me. Also, I got so many messages and comments on social media too which kept me going. I’ll be back as soon as my injury heals and I will come back stronger than ever. Hopefully, show you some good fights in the cage.”
Image by Brett King
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