MONROE COUNTY, Pa. — At just 10 years old, Jessica Martinez of East Stroudsburg loves science, creative writing, and the color pink, but that's not all, "I like sparring boys," she says.
And spar she does in a combat sport called MuayThai inside Maisonets Muay Thai Training Camp in Coolbaugh Township.
Weighing in at just under 60 pounds, Martinez is one of the best in MuayThai fighters in the country.
Last month, she won the USA MuayThai Youth National Championships in Indiana.
That victory earned her a spot on Team USA to compete in the Youth World Championships in Turkey at the end of September.
Her parents started her young first with Taekwondo to learn how to protect herself.
"At three years old, we decided to. A lot of bullying in school. So we figured we'd send her for training, and she picked it up right away and has been doing it ever since," said Joe Martinez, Jessica's dad.
"We spar a lot. Most of the time, we kick bags and stuff, and I learn new things and techniques every day," said Jessica.
Muay Thai, also called Thai Boxing, is the national sport of Thailand and requires a lot of training.
"She trains three times a week. She also does Taekwondo on her other days, but she knows she has to wear two different hats because Taekwondo is Taekwondo and Muay Thai is Muay Thai, but she also learned how to adapt. She's very good at that, and every session, we train two-hour classes," said Brandon Maisonet, Maisonets Muay Thai Training Camp.
"It's pretty cool. I mean, it gives me a chance and an opportunity to go and fight for my county," added Jessica.
But for Martinez to be able to represent her country, she needs help.
Her parents started a GoFundMe to help them get to Turkey.
"It's a lot of hard work and she deserves it," said Joe.
If you'd like to help Martinez go for the gold, click here.
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