Grieving Muay Thai mum leads fight to change combat sport weight loss culture

Jessica Lindsay. Source: news.com.au

A mother is pushing for safer attitudes to weight-loss in combat sports after her daughter died while preparing for an amateur fight.

Jessica Lindsay, an 18-year-old Muay Thai novice, collapsed the day before her second fight was scheduled and died in a Perth hospital four days later when life support was switched off.

Mum Sharron Lindsay has met West Australian Premier Mark McGowan as she crusades to change the culture in combat sports, which have enjoyed a massive rise in popularity around the world in recent years.

She told Perth Now that Australia's Combat Sports Commission had "wishy-washy" rules and was failing to protect fighters.

Lindsay said: "This can't happen again. People need to be educated and people need to understand that Jessica was an articulate, educated, intelligent young lady who did this method of weight-cut by the book and the extent of horrific damage on this one attempt took her life."

Jessica's weight-loss methods included water-loading, running in a rubber sweatsuit and taking hot-salt baths. She had taken "careful research...obtaining advice from various people" before undertaking the tough regime in the week before her fight.

Jessica collapsed while running despite showing no lead up signs of trouble. Ms Lindsay, who also trains in Muay Thai, said dangerous practices were widespread. She wants a expedited coroner's enquiry. Jessica's Muay Thai gym has also backed the call for State Government action.

Combat commission chairwoman Cassandra Wright described her death as a "tragic incident which has impacted the entire combat sports industry". The commission advised against dehydration methods and highlighted the dangers. Guidelines recommend good nutrition and exercise to lose weight.

Wright said: "... this is a complex issue that is constantly under review and requires a considered approach that discourages contestants from large weight-cuts and changes the culture of the industry," she said.

Paddy Golden, the doctor, chief medical adviser to the CSC and an emergency medicine consultant, said acute water loss was "very dangerous".

"She was a fit young girl before the weight-cut," he said.

"I liken (weight-cutting) to putting a revolver to your head and spinning the chambers. The more weight loss that you have the more empty chambers you take away."

Grace Lindsay said her sister didn't like weight-cutting but felt she had to do it.

"When you don't make weight you're shamed for it, you didn't try hard enough, or you bit off more than you can chew and it's your fault," she said.

After collapsing, Jessica was found to have a galloping heart rate of 180 and was placed in an induced coma. Her mother described the cause as "extreme hydration" and said internal organs suffered "horrific" damage.

Jessica's own words are an important part of the debate, in understanding the mindset which can lead to such a tragedy.

In a blog, she described her beloved sport as "beautiful", "empowering" and "very addictive".

She also wrote: "If you're not committed to following a strict diet and exercise regime, you're not going to make weight. Not making weight is disrespectful to your opponent.

"Preparing for a fight will be one of the hardest things you will do in your life. Essentially you are putting your body through hell ... to get into a ring with someone whose goal is to hit you ... hard enough to be crowned the winner. To fight, you must be able to have the mental fortitude to overcome that."