Saskatchewan's Leah Prosper going for world martial arts title

Regina's Leah-Anne Prosper is fundraising to go to Orlando, Florida to compete for her first international martial arts title.

The nine-year-old Cree girl has been practising a form of martial arts called Kenpo since she was three.

Prosper has a blue belt and dozens of medals from tournaments around the province. Prosper was in Saskatoon Fridayfundraisingfor the biggest event of her young life.

"I'm feeling kind of nervous for it, but I'm ready," Prosper said.

Not surprisingly, Prosper's mom, Sarah, is her biggest fan.

I'm feeling kind of nervous for it, but I'm ready-Leah-Anne Prosper

"My daughter makes me very proud," Sarah Prosper said. "She's won over 80 medals, but even then it's more than the determination. She enjoys what she's doing."

The mother said she's working day and night to raise the $10,000 Leah needs to go to the World Martial Arts Championship.

The family still has a long ways to go in its fundraising goal. The mother said she needs to raise more than $9,000 by June.

The whole extended family is involved cooking food, taking ordersand making deliveries. They're even donating art for an art auction fundraiser.

"It feels good," Leah's great-aunt Helen Prosper said. "I want to support her."

The Prosper family has also recently set up a GoFundMe page.

But Leah'sparents say her martial arts is just part of a more important fight. In Canada, there are hundreds of missing or murdered aboriginal women and girls.

Sarah and her husband want to make sure Leahdoesn't become one of them.

"We wanted to be able to give our daughter a chance," said Sarah.

And, of course, they want her to be successful in what she loves to do.