Garap hits his peak at the right time

A RECENT training programme at the Gold Coast in Australia has boosted Papua New Guinea professional Muay Thai fighter, Lee “The Flash” Garap’s fitness to its peak.
“I think I have reached my peak,” he says after returning on Monday  from a three-week stint in Australia.
Garap is so fit that he can go for 25 rounds with three minutes each at the same speed.
“I can’t believe it too,” he said. 
And this may be the right time to reach this form because he has a fight coming up at the end of next February. 
Garap trained under Anthony Vella of Hitman Gym and also Jamie Stump, who is also a professional Muay Thai fighter.
“I learned a lot of new things, many of the training methods and  programmes were new to me too,” he said.
Garap went to Australia in November to train for a fight on Dec 5, however, his opponent pulled out of their 63kg bout, saying Garap was too experienced for him.
Garap boasted of more than 40 fights to his name while his opponent had just nine.
The rest of the time was spent in the gym under the watchful eyes of his trainers.
“We trained for three hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon.
“We started of with a 5km run in the morning and straight into other activities and then, the same thing again in the afternoon,” Garap said.
“I had six meals a day and after training it’s straight to bed.
“It was very disciplined and professional,” he said.
The fight may have been cancelled but Garap capitalised on the opportunity with the training.
He said it would prepare him for an upcoming fight at the end of next February.
He is in the country now to rest and will start training next month before heading back to Australia for more intense training for the fight.
The February fight will be in the 63.5kg division but an exact date and opponent has not been made known to Garap yet.
The fight will be under New Generation Promotions, a show that identifies and promotes upcoming Thai boxers.
Successful fighters make it into “Evolution” which is the highest level of the competition in the world.
It is equivalent to Kickboxing’s A-1 and K-1 Max which PNG’s Stanley Nandex and Mark Sondo have fought in respectively.
“I feel fitter than I’ve ever felt before. I feel good and I know that I can take any other international Muay Thai fighter in the ring now,” Garap said.
Last July, Garap lost his first Muay Thai world title fight to Bruce “The Preacher” McVee.
But, he said he would have had a better chance if he had been trained like now.
“I had limited training and knowledge of the art and rules of the game but I did alright.
“Now, I know a lot more confident than I did so I think I’ll do better when I get another shot at the title,” Garap said.
He also thanked Tradeworks, Prime Consultants, Paul Morris and Dr Joe Garap as well as his other clients and sponsors who helped him go down to Australia.
“No one would give you their money for nothing so I am grateful for the assistance from these people,” Garap said.