18 hours ago
Moose Jaw Muay Thai fighter brings home silver medal from competition in Italy
Moose Jaw native Cameron Billy has been training in the Mixed Martial Arts discipline for less than three years and is already competing against some of the best fighters in the world.
The 19-year-old returned from Verona, Italy this week, where he won a silver medal in the C Class -91-kilogram category. A contingent of family and friends were in Moose Jaw at Mac the Moose on Friday to celebrate his accomplishment.
'It's overwhelming because I don't know how to act about it, but you know I love it,' Billy said. 'I love seeing my whole family, these are the people that got me here. These are the people that tell me to keep going, you got this, good work kid. Or after my match they said, 'You did amazing.'
Proud would be an appropriate word for all those gathered on Friday. Cameron's father Riley Billy, chief among them. The elder Billy got emotional when asked about his son's silver medal triumph.
'Oh my God, I'm glad I was at home watching the fights by myself. I was screaming and yelling at the TV when he raised his hand on his first victory, I was there, sorry, it's pride,' he said.
Riley told CTV News that he is also proud of how hard Cameron worked to get to this point in his Muay Thai career, including driving five hours to Winnipeg to in the early hours of the morning to try out for Team Canada.
'Before the training every day, he would go to work, do his 10-hour shift, come home and do another three or four hours of training. As he got into the international fight when he qualified at Winnipeg, training intensified,' he said.
Cameron Billy
Cameron Billy, a Muy Thai fighter from Moose Jaw, has returned from a world competition with a silver medal. (Jacob Carr / CTV News)
'He went six days a week plus his full-time job. So that's dedication to a sport. And as a parent, that makes us so proud to see him being motivated in something that he loves without us pushing him,' he added.
Riley, and Cameron's mother Sheila, are the young Muay Thai fighter's number one fans. Sheila told CTV News that there is no greater joy than watching your child spread their own wings and succeed with confidence.
The silver medal for Cameron on the world stage was not his only achievement, as he got his first knockout in a match.
'He caught me with a big shot actually, I caught his kick, spinning elbow got me right on the chin. And then my coach said, 'You have to make him pay for that.' And then the second round comes in and it just happened. I was just going, put my knees to work and then put my elbow and he just dropped,' Cameron explained.
That knockout prompted an after the match conversation with Cameron's ecstatic father.
'We were just like, 'Did you see it, Dad? Did you see it?' I'm like, 'Son, oh my God, look at that man.' I'm like, 'Wow you knocked him out, I think your name is Bam-Bam Cam' hahaha,' Riley said.
Cameron admitted that it was bittersweet to not win the gold medal, but also claimed he was proud to be the only Team Canada representative from Saskatchewan.
'That feels so good, we were outside the arena in Verona and everybody's like okay Manitoba take their picture, B.C. take their picture and there's big groups of them. And I was like, okay well Saskatchewan, and posed up, so it felt good,' he recalled.
Next on the docket for Cameron, who trains at Control Jiu Jitsu in Moose Jaw and spars at Siam Boxing in Regina, he is looking to set up a fight in Calgary in October. He is also looking to get to Thailand, to continue to hone his craft and experience the 'motherland' of Muay Thai.
Cameron told CTV News that the goal is to one day become a Muay Thai world champion. A silver medal at 19 in a global 18+ competition isn't a bad start.
