Bellator women’s featherweight Leah McCourt has managed to take some positives from these trying times.
Northern Ireland’s McCourt (4-1 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) balances life as a fighter and single mom of 8-year-old Isabella, which has often been difficult with her busy schedule.
Training out of SBG in Charlestown, it’s a long drive to the gym for McCourt. But due to the current lockdown circumstances, she’s been training at home, allowing her to spend more precious time with her daughter.
“I’m a good PE teacher, and I think that’s about it,” McCourt told MMA Junkie. “My daughter is like the easiest child – I’m so blessed to have her. She’s been getting up and doing her work in the morning and we’ve been going out and doing exercise. To be honest, I can sit and complain and say it’s really hard – and it is. It’s a difficult circumstance. But I’m really lucky with my daughter Isabella.
“She’s such an easy-going child, and taking it all in her stride and absolutely loves being with me and me not running to train, and to coach, and to do this and that. She just loves having me in the house and spending loads of time with me. This is one time probably in my whole life that I’m going to look back and think, I’ve had so much time with Isabella. Normally, I’m training, I’m traveling, I’m in a different country. You have to try and take the positives from it, as well.”
Unbeaten in the Bellator cage, McCourt is coming off a unanimous decision win over Judith Ruis at Bellator 240, where her daughter was in attendance and joined her in the cage to celebrate in an emotional moment for both mother and daughter.
McCourt was subsequently scheduled to face Janay Harding at Bellator London in May, but the event was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Bellator's Leah McCourt looking on the bright side during COVID-19 lockdown
