The reigning back-to-back World Jiu Jitsu Champion from Blenheim is glad to be back home after a long and tough tournament in Mongolia, but she already has her sights set on a three-peat.
Rain Pfaff, 23, won the gold medal after defeating her opponent from France via armbar submission and is now getting ready for another tournament in Saudi Arabia in October where she hopes to come out on top again.
Pfaff said her toughest bout during the tournament was her quarterfinal match against an opponent from the Phillipines, but she persevered because she really wanted the title.
Pfaff told CK News Today she is grateful for all of the support she has received along the way.
"The support I've had from my club and all of the other clubs I train at, it takes a team to get me there. I wouldn't do well if I didn't have people pushing me to be the best version of myself. It really is a team sport so it took a village to get me on top and I'm thankful for everyone who helped me on the journey," said Pfaff.
Pfaff is a coach and trains at Armstrong Jiu Jitsu, Kickboxing, and Fitness in Chatham.
Pfaff said she felt the love from Chatham-Kent in a time zone 12 hours away.
"It's pretty exciting, it's a dream come true for me. Just people in the community, friends, and family that tuned-in in the middle of the night to watch me, it was pretty unreal," she said.
Pfaff said she gets free gear from sponsor Flawless Kimonos, but there haven't been any large sponsors or endorsements yet.
She also fought her way to the top of the podium on behalf of Canada in Abu Dhabi last Fall by defeating her opponents in the 70+ kilogram division.
