A TALENTED young sportsman from Bala is preparing to take on the world as he heads to Florida next month for the prestigious DEKA World Championship.

Gwion Ellis, a 21-year-old mechanic at a garage in Corwen, has earned his place at the annual fitness competition, which features events like DEKA Fit, DEKA Mile, and DEKA Strong.

The 2025 championship will be held in Fort Lauderdale from 5–7 December, bringing together elite athletes to compete in a series of functional fitness challenges designed to test overall strength, endurance, and agility.

Though Gwion first discovered running at Ysgol Godre’r Berwyn, his true passion lies in boxing.

A seasoned amateur fighter with most of his bouts ending in victory, he’s aiming to turn professional next year.

His rigorous training regime includes sparring, gym sessions, and countless miles on the roads around Bala—preparation that’s sure to serve him well as he faces off against some of the world’s fittest competitors.

Gwion has qualified for both the DEKA Fit and DEKA Mile events, scheduled for Friday and Saturday, 5–6 December. The key difference between the two lies in the running segments between the 10 exercise zones: DEKA Fit requires a 500-meter run before each zone, while DEKA Mile involves a shorter 160-meter run.

“This will be the highlight of the year—possibly the highlight of my life,” said Gwion, who fights at 71kg.

“It’s definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Winning the world title is the goal. In boxing, becoming world champion is the dream. To have the chance to achieve that in another sport is a real eye-opener.”

On his preparation, he added: “I’ve had six or seven solid weeks of DEKA-specific training on top of my boxing. I’ve never been this fit. Boxing demands fitness, but DEKA requires strength too. Right now, both are working hand in hand.”

Gwion also has a boxing match lined up before heading to Florida. “Watch out!” he joked. “The top boys in the world will be in Florida. It’s unbelievable that a lad from Bala will be taking them on.”

Earlier this year, Gwion won the 2-mile Sea 2 Summit Offa’s Dyke Ultra Marathon in an impressive 6 hours, 31 minutes, and 25 seconds—just shy of Lee Mahon’s 2021 course record of 6:09:47.

Starting on the Prestatyn seafront, competitors ran along the Offa’s Dyke trail taking in several peaks to the finish point on the summit of Cyrn y Brain above the Horseshoe Pass with over 2,000 metres of elevation gain in total.

To fund his trip, Gwion turned to his supporters on social media, eventually launching a GoFundMe page that surpassed £1,000. “I’m so grateful to everyone who’s backed me, and to my sponsors—they’ve made this possible,” he said.

Gwion plans to document his DEKA journey on social media to raise awareness of the sport. “When people heard I was going to a world championship, they assumed it was for boxing,” he laughed. “They were surprised to learn it was for DEKA.”

Follow his journey on Instagram and TikTok: @GwionEllis

Gwion is supported by Gethin Ellis Coaching, G Ellis Joinery, Woody’s Cafe, meiners-del, Coed y Dyffryn, Oakley Arms, Ema Boxing, L’s Coffee and Bookshop, M Roberts Property Maintenance, Happy Kappa Tattoo,14KarlEvs and Pawennau Bro.