The city of Vernon has a new world champion in its orbit.
Lillian Marchand, the 18-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu wunderkind, became world champion at the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championships.
Hosted in the UAE capital, Marchand won the Women's Gi brown/black belt 70 kg division championship, as she defeated Sabatha Santos in the final.
En route to the finals, Marchand won all three matches by submission. This was just her first year competing in the adult division, and she was competing in a weight class that was four kilograms heavier than her weight.
Earlier this season, the Lillatron won the Pan-American Championships in the purple belt, medium-heavy division and a double gold at the Brasileiro Championships.
Last season, her final in the youth division, Marchand became the first female Canadian to accomplish the Grand Slam, winning all four major championships.
