From modelling to MMA: Hong Kong-born Ashleigh Martin is breaking bones and mental health barriers
The unbeaten 26-year-old is gearing up for a third fight after battling the demons in her mind, as she looks to inspire other women to get into the cage
Hands raised and grinning from ear to ear, Hong Kong-born Ashleigh Martin was overcome with joy after winning her second professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fight last month. The 26-year-old (MMA record of 2-0) won at local event JUST CKF Hong Kong 2 via a devastating first-round technical knockout, later learning she had fractured her opponent’s orbital bone.
But it was not the performance in particular the former model was happy about, rather the culmination of events that eventually led to finding the one thing she had longed for: self-acceptance.
“There’s a lot of pressure to be skinny when you’re modelling,” said Martin, who joined her first fight gym three years ago. “I was in a bit of a dark spiral and got complacent with my fitness routine. I gained a lot of weight from anxiety, being depressed and not being able to work.”
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) – which affects about one in 50 people in the world – is a mental disorder characterised by extreme concern over an aspect or perceived defect of one’s own body part or appearance.
The ‘flaw’may not be distinguishable to others, but some sufferers may feel so ashamed they develop social phobias, obsessive compulsive disorder or worse.