Tilly Bell has been training at Choppers Gym, Dickson, since she was 15. Photo: Choppers Gym Facebook.
Tilly Bell is a 23-year-old professional Muay Thai and kickboxing fighter.
Tilly, a Canberra local, attended St Francis Xavier College and has been involved in the sport since she was a teenager.
All that dedication has been worth it as Tilly is about to head off to Türkiye as a member of the Australian team to participate in the International Federation of Muaythai Associations’ World Championship.
The tournament is held from 22 May to 1 June, and Tilly has trained hard to make the most of this well-earned opportunity.
Tilly Bell is well-prepared for the Muay Thai Championships in Türkiye in May-June. Photo: Iron Monkey Photography via Facebook.
This is her biggest challenge yet, although she already has a list of achievements under her championship belts.
Included among these is the 2022 World Association of Kickboxing Organisation’s (WAKO) Oceana Champion for over 75 kilograms, the 2024 International Sport Kickboxing Association’s (ISKA) light heavyweight Australian Muay Thai Champion, and a silver at the 2024 Global Association of Mixed Martial Arts’ (GAMMA) Striking Mixed Martial Arts World Championships in Indonesia.
Tilly was also the 2023 WAKO Australian representative at the World Championships in Portugal.
“Although I started in the sport just for fun, I fell in love with it and the discipline it requires,” Till says.
Tilly’s first fight was in February 2021. Since then, she’s had 19 fights for 13 wins, five losses and one draw.
Tilly credits her grandmother, mother and sisters for her resilient attitude that underpins her love of competing. They are her role models.
And her greatest influences in her chosen sport are her coaches and her teammates at Choppers Gym.
With this support behind her, Tilly has been training hard and wants to bring the gold medal home.
The challenge is huge, not just in terms of the expected strong competition, but also in the physical and mental demands of Muay Thai itself.
Where kickboxing is mainly about kicks and punches, Muay Thai allows for these, as well as the use of knees, elbows and upper body grappling.
But Tilly has shown that she has the patience and counter-attack ability fundamental to the sport of Muay Thai. She has all the ingredients required to represent Australia to the highest of standards at the IFMA World Championship.
