Calls for donations to help young 'relentless' Leitrim fighter get to European Championship

A young Leitrim girl has qualified to fight at the European Mixed Martial Arts Championship later this month, but is looking for help to get there.

12-year-old Zoe Szemendrey, from south Leitrim, will represent Ireland at the Global Association of Mixed Martial Arts (GAMMA) in Athens on April 28th.

Despite her young age, Zoe has already made a name for herself locally and nationally.

Her father, Oliver Szemendrey, told the Leitrim Observer that Zoe started training Jiu Jitsu and MMA as a hobby in 2023 at the age of ten at Morris Martial Arts in Carrick on Shannon, coached by Gary Morris.

In 2024, she started training at Carrick-on-Shannon, C.M.T Morakot Muay-Thai under coach Stephen Warren.

Oliver continued, "During 2024, she earned a lot of medals in three different sports, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai and MMA. By 2025 February (at age 11), she turned into the highest-ranked Jiu-Jitsu practitioner at under 16 in the local club and the highest-ranked under 14 in the county and top five in the country. During her holidays, she also trained in different clubs, including New Generation Fight Team and Szegedi Harcosok "Dedi Team".

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Her awards include first place in the 2024 Leitrim Grappling Championship, first place in the 2025 Galway MMA Championship, first place in the 2025 and 2026 Leitrim MMA Championship and first place in the 2025 Tullamore Jiu Jitsu Championship.                      

Earlier this year, she also became the youngest person ever to be nominated for the Leitrim junior sports star award.

While she has previously won bronze at an International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) European Championship, proudly competing in Irish colours.

A GoFundMe page was set up to help support the cost of competing at the games, which has raised over €1000, but is still off the target. 

"Zoe trains relentlessly and gives everything to her sport, but she needs support to make this opportunity possible,” wrote her father, Oliver, on GoFundMe, describing her making the event “as a huge achievement and an important milestone in her athletic career.​

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Donations are aimed at helping cover the cost of travel, accommodation, competition fees, training and preparation expenses, and required equipment.

“Zoe will proudly represent her team, her supporters and everyone who believes in her. Let’s get Zoe to Athens and help her showcase her talent on the European stage!"