Martial arts prodigy Kaiden Sheppard named Sportsperson of the Month

Martial arts prodigy Kaiden Sheppard has been selected as the Kempsey Macleay RSL Club Sportsperson of the Month for November.

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Kaiden competes with the Zen Chi Ryu club and is among 11 students qualified to compete at the Australian Martial Arts Championships (AMAC) Australian Titles on the Gold Coast.

The completion will be held from November 30 to December 1.

Kaiden also faces another fight of his own: type 1 diabetes.

However, the 16-year-old doesn't think of his diabetes condition as a roadblock.

Kaiden was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of nine. It is an autoimmune disease that occurs when a person's pancreas stops producing insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar levels.

Kaiden joined Kempsey's Zen Chi Ryu Martial Arts when he was ten and has excelled in the sport.

Outside of martial arts, Kaiden has continued to be an inspiration to the community.

In 2019, he received the Little Courage Ambassador Award from the DANII Foundation for his unflinchingly positive attitude toward type 1 diabetes.

In 2023, Kaiden was nominated for the Australia Day Local Hero Award.

To nominate a local athlete for the next Macleay Sportsperson of the Month, provide detailed information on the individual's achievement and email it to macleayargus@austcommunitymedia.com.au.

The Macleay Argus will determine the monthly and yearly winner of the award.

A sportsperson of the month will be decided upon in Decembert with an additional voucher of $100 for the restaurant awarded to the winner.

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