A Durban North family who were stuck in Thailand for several long months during lockdown alert level 5 say they are grateful to be home.
Clint Walters who is a former mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter and owner of the Domination Fitness and Fighting Gym, based in Durban North, said that a family trip turned into something they went not expecting.
Speaking to the Tabloid Newspapers Walters said that it was one of the most difficult times that he had to endure as he and his family were away from home for over seven months in a foreign country. The father of two had expected to be returning back to South Africa in April 2020. He said every year they go on a one-month family trip to Thailand where he also goes to learn about new fighting techniques while enjoying quality time with his family. However, last year’s trip duration came as a surprise. “My family and I normally go to Thailand every year for a family holiday. For me it is basically work-related because I go there to learn. Last year, we had SA Muay Thai Worlds in Thailand that I had to attend because I was the insert team couch. I had my team with me and had paid for the flight tickets and accommodation. However, all games were cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“When my team-mates came to Thailand a few days after us, we decided we were going to use the time for all our training sessions,” Walters said. He said the team left on 23 March to return to South Africa. He and his family remained in Thailand. On 26 March, Emirates decided to stop all flights travelling to Thailand and also from SA. “At first, we didn’t panic because we thought the lockdown was not going to last for long. But to our surprise, one month became two months and that is where we realised that this was on for a long shoot,” he said.
Walters said that after seven months of not earning any income things became difficult for him and his wife. “While we were still stuck in Thailand because of the lockdown, I couldn’t provide training and earn extra cash because of the regulations, my wife Melanie decided to look for a job. Fortunately she got a job as an English teacher and I had to stay home and look after the children and help them with their school work,” he said.
Walters said the ordeal was difficult because he had to pay for accommodation, house bonds, policies and rent for his gym. “So now I had to pay for two separate live’s debts because we could not come back and we couldn’t afford to lose what we had accomplished. I ended up training most of the day just to keep my mind busy and fit. But in all I love challenging times, they always put you to a test that you have to accomplish,” he said.
Melanie said that besides having to pay for two separate lives, the experience was amazing for her. “Funny enough I had enrolled for Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) in obtaining my teaching diploma which to my surprise was a life-saver while we were stuck in Thailand,” Melanie added.
Walters said that when the borders finally opened which was in October they came back home. He thanks all their close friends and family who had helped them through their financial difficulties and made sure they returned home safe.
