Authored by Daniella Ferrini
Upon first meeting Gabi Cunha, one would see her as an ordinary high school senior, balancing work, school, and sports. But they don’t see the blood, sweat, and tears she sheds weekly to keep her title as one of the top ten best kickboxers in the world.
Gabi has spent the majority of her life traveling with her team to different states and countries to fight in WKC, WAKO, and NASKA World Championships, where she has won gold several times.
However, she has had to face a great amount of adversity, typically fighting with and against older boys and men.
“Being a male dominated sport I had to prove to myself that I belonged there and that I was not just a good girl fighter, but that I was a good fighter period.”
Her life has revolved around the sport she’s dedicated so much time to since she was a child, and the opportunities and lessons she has received from it. Fighting has turned Gabi into a confident, strong-minded woman, who refuses to take backlash from anyone.
“Kickboxing is a very tough contact sport and requires a certain mindset,” she states, “I’ve acquired determination, perseverance, and grit through this sport.”
But Gabi’s achievements did not come easy to her. She’s had her share of injuries, as well as setbacks. Her sophomore year, her parents divorced, and she was forced to move out of the house she grew up in. It was a lifestyle change she was not expecting, and would take a lot of time to get used to.
On top of it all, she fractured two vertebrae, keeping her out of all physical activity. “It put me out of the sport that kept me sane,” she recollects.
Although she hit an extremely low point at this stage in her life, she managed to bounce back up with more tenacity and passion than ever before.
“I think the saying that I live by is that you can fall down 7 times, but stand up 8. There has been a few low points in my life so far and I know that there will be more but I’m not gonna let them stop me from living my life, being happy, and achieving my goals”
But there is a lot more to Gabi Cunha than just karate. She manages to participate in spring track, swim and dive, and art club on top of it all. She also has a job, and works hard to attain above average grades in all of her classes. With so much going on, she typically has a jam packed schedule.
“I don’t have much free time since I go from school to dive to karate and get home at 11 and finally start my homework,” she shrugs when asked about a normal day in her life.
Even with such little time on her hands, she still finds opportunities to do one of her favorite things: travel. For karate, she has traveled to 15 different states outside of New England.
“Illinois, Texas, California, Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, and Maryland are my favorites”, she smiles, “I have the best memories from there.”
But she doesn’t stop with the United States. At only eighteen years old, she has traveled to Italy, Ireland, Canada, Aruba, Puerto Rico, the Galapagos, Ecuador, and Portugal.
“I’m lucky that I get to travel so often,” she comments, “I’ve seen so many different things and places.”
Unlike many teenagers, Gabi has ideas for her future and how she plans on pursuing it. She has experienced and learned so much through both her kickboxing career, and the struggles she has encountered growing up.
“This sport has impacted my future as well,” she states seriously, “ I want to transfer my experience in combat and physical toughness into a career in the military, and someday as a firefighter.”
To many, the willpower and determination of this child is astounding. The motivation she obtains is unlike anything ever seen before. She works hard for both what she wants and what she deserves, and she refuses to stop at anything.
She can fight through anything, whether that be a legitimate kickboxing match or one of life’s obstacles. Something that would put many down, keeps her going. Gabi uses nothing as an excuse to quit.
“I’ll go to practice and get beat up,” she laughs, “but I’m still excited to go back the next day.”
Determination, strength, and perseverance all seem to be words that were created for Gabi Cunha. Her composure has pushed her to accomplish more than most people will in a lifetime.
“Nothing could ever force me to quit doing what I love. It’s almost as if I don’t know how to walk away from a challenge.”