Kickboxer Janna Vaughan wants to be world champion, but to achieve this she must shed 3kg before November.
Vaughan and Logan Park High School pupil Cleveland Falanitule are the only Otago members of the New Zealand team that will contest the world championships in Bangkok from November 5-12.
Vaughan has been kickboxing for eight years and this will be her fourth world championships.
She won the bronze medal in the 60kg class in 2007 and 2008.
The 21-year-old wants the gold medal this year and feels her best chance will be in the 57kg class. She must reduce her weight by 3kg to be eligible for that grade, so she has modified her diet.
"I am cutting down my portions and eating my carbohydrates early in the day," she said.
She has a big breakfast and snacks throughout the morning.
She eats nothing during the afternoon and confines herself to protein and vegetables for dinner.
"I have tuna, chicken or eggs and vegetables, but I cut out potatoes."
If she still needs to lose weight closer to her event, Vaughan will use saunas and wear a sweat suit.
Kickboxing administrators are trying to get the sport added to the Olympics, and they have 100 countries competing at the world championships.
It is a knockout competition and there will be 50 countries competing in Vaughan's grade.
Vaughan followed her brother, Michael, into the sport.
She comes from Moerewa in the Bay of Islands and has always been talented at sport.
She played three years of NPC rugby in the midfield for Manawatu when she was a pupil at Freyberg High School in Palmerston North.
She has won three championship banners with Alhambra-Union and has played for the Otago Spirit for the past three years.
It is a self-funding trip to the world champs and Vaughan is grateful for the help she has received from the Skeggs Foundation.
