Jake Peacock: ‘I hope people will be inspired and changed by my story’

Peacock threw his first punch to defend himself against a school bully. Now he is a muay thai champion with his own gym

By Jonathan Drennan for the Guardian Sport Network

Jake Peacock is the reigning Canadian welterweight and North American super welterweight muay thai champion. He has won eight of his nine professional fights and is renowned for his ability to knock out opponents clinically with accurate elbows and kicks. His first fight of real meaning had baying crowds around it, but it was far from the bright lights of the stadiums where he now competes. He was 11 years old at school in England, walking to the school field terrified to take on a physically bigger boy who had bullied him mercilessly. Peacock was born with one arm shorter than the other and was sick of the taunts. His decision to fight back that day defined the rest of his life.

When the last bell rang for the end of school, I knew I had another option. I was walking out of the school and I knew I could keep going straight to the school field or I could turn and walk to my mum's car 20 yards away and go home. It was a Friday. I could come back in on Monday and see what happens, but that wouldn't be good. The bullying would just keep going and I knew it would never stop.