Former Ribblesdale High School student Alfie Rowley, 20, from Simonstone, has secured a role as combat sports coach aboard the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth after starting martial arts in Padiham. The Royal Navy fully funds the sport, enabling him to travel to Thailand to deepen his expertise.
From Padiham to the flagship
Alfie, who has served in the Royal Navy for nearly three years as a Naval Airman Aircraft Handler, now uses his passion for Muay Thai to train shipmates. The HMS Queen Elizabeth has a core crew of 700 but can accommodate up to 1,600 personnel. Alfie said: “Muay Thai has been a huge part of my life for five years now. I’m delighted to be the ship’s combat sports coach. In this role, I support and develop combat sports within the ship’s company. It’s highly enjoyable being able to use my passion for martial arts to assist others improve their skills, confidence and fitness.”
Training in Thailand and supporting youth
The Royal Navy funded Alfie’s trip to Thailand to improve his Muay Thai knowledge and cultural understanding. He said: “This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience to train in the cradle of the sport and learn from experienced coaches gaining knowledge I can share to help others develop as combat sports athletes. I also enjoyed the immersion in Thai culture and now better understand the traditions behind Muay Thai. Thai language fluency will hopefully come via future visits.”
When on leave, Alfie dedicates time to the Combat Sports Initiative (CSI), a project set up to inspire young people and steer them away from knife crime. The youth initiative focuses on building core values such as respect, resilience, discipline, confidence, and teamwork through sports sessions. Alfie said: “I chose to get involved during periods of leave as I believe in everything CSI stands for. The project aims to help young people develop strong core values in life, generally as well as in sport. Such values include respect, discipline, confidence, resilience, and teamwork. These all align with the Royal Navy ethos, stressing the principles of Courage, Commitment, Discipline, Respect, Integrity and Loyalty.”
Local praise and future ambitions
Joe Fitzpatrick, chief instructor at Northwest Muay Thai in Wyre Street, Padiham, praised Alfie: “Alfie is a strong and fast fighter with much potential and always open to learning new techniques. He has much potential as a fighter. He’s keen to improve his teaching ability, and we're not in the least surprised that he’s proving to be an asset to the Royal Navy Muay Thai team.”
Alfie has already run one CSI session in Leeds, which combined fitness activities, basic Muay Thai, and an introduction to BJJ grappling, ending with team games. He said: “All participants were encouraged to challenge themselves while supporting others. I’m looking forward to doing more.”
The young coach hopes his work encourages other young people to focus on personal growth rather than social media pressures. Alfie said: “Success is best measured by personal progress rather than comparisons with others. Every small improvement in skills, confidence, discipline or resilience represents success, which can fuel much bigger achievements. Too many compare themselves to so-called influencers, making them feel not good enough, and that contributes to increased anxiety and depression. CSI counteracts this by encouraging people to focus on daily becoming a better version of themselves.” Anyone wishing to train locally can reach out to the Padiham gym directly to start their own journey.
