KENAN GUZEL

I took my first step into combat sports at the age of 7 through karate. At that young age, I couldn’t fully understand it, but I felt a fighting spirit inside me that grew stronger with each passing day. When I started boxing during high school, I had to confront the harsh realities of my neighborhood. In those streets, learning to fight wasn’t a choice — it was a necessity for survival.

Challenges didn’t break me — they made me stronger. The medals I earned in different combat disciplines weren’t just decorations around my neck; each one told a story written with sweat, blood, and tears. It was during those days that I felt I had found my purpose in life: I would rise through struggle.

With this determination, I got accepted into the Faculty of Sports Sciences and graduated with honors. But life still didn’t offer an easy path. For years, I fought to stay on my feet, balancing both my athletic career and coaching responsibilities.

After the pandemic, I moved to Thailand to take my fighting career to the next level. That’s where I met Coach Barış at Tunal Academy, and together we decided to pursue the dream of becoming a world champion. That decision became the most important step of my life.

Now, my goal is crystal clear: to raise the Turkish flag at the top of the world and to collect every championship belt. This road is not easy — but I chose the hard way. Because this journey is not just mine — it belongs to everyone who believes in me and stands by my side.