Dayna Berghan-Whyman is a medieval fighter from New Zealand. She is New Zealand Māori, of Ngati Kahu iwi. She has represented New Zealand at the International Medieval Combat Federation World Championships in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
As a melee fighter she takes the ‘tank’ position, soaking up damage and distracting opponents while more lightly-armoured teammates attempt to score hits. Her fighter name is LadyBeastNZ and her fighter imagery is an angry cow. She fights with the Felag Club based in Wellington. Dayna is the first woman President of the Historical Medieval Battle National Federation of New Zealand.
Dayna is married and has a daughter. She has written about her daughter’s medical conditions: the rare genetic disorder Alfi’s syndrome, and Asperger syndrome. Dayna is also sponsoring a scholarship for someone who spends their time caring for others.
Dayna’s talk is likely to cover:
- Fighting tales
- being a woman in a male dominated sport
- being a plus size athlete
- the determination to win a gosh darn medal for NZ! Don’t give up on your goals
Camp Boom 