Danielle Kelly shares heartfelt Father’s Day message to her late hero: “He taught me what strength is”

Danielle Kelly has never been quiet about showing love and support to the people that made her into the superstar she is today.

As one of the top submission grapplers on the planet, even Kelly herself had doubts about her career at the early stages but her loved ones helped to keep her on the right path.

Now right at the forefront of female grappling, the 27-year old is within touching distance of a ONE submission grappling world championship having produced back-to-back wins inside the circle.

This past weekend, she took the opportunity to give thanks to one particular supporter of hers that had an incredible impact on her life, her father.

Writing an emotional and from the heart post on her Instagram profile, dedicated to her dad on father’s day, Danielle Kelly gave her fans an insight into the people that have made her the person she is today:

“A father is someone that show you how amazing you are, even when you struggle to see it yourself. A father is someone who continues to inspire you even when they’re no longer alive. My father continues to teach me not to give up when things get hard, especially now. He taught me how to respect and love myself. He taught me what strength is seeing him fight cancer everyday. Happy Father’s Day dad. I’ll always have you in my heart."

Having secured a hard-fought decision win over Ayaka Miura at ONE Fight Night 7 in February, the New Jersey native will now turn her attention to her fourth contest under the ONE Championship banner.