World champion female fighters were in Pelham Bay Saturday to inspire young women.

Girls learned about becoming confident, strong and controlling their destiny during a four-day camp that was held by TCK Martial Arts.

The nonprofit organization Swerve4Change was on scene to tell camp participants that "female fighters matter too."

The founder of Swerve4Change, Maggie Messina, says she was competing at a national event last month when she saw the men's prize money was $800 and the women's prize amount was just $200.

"I must have seen it 100 times through my career," Messina said. "But this time it really burned me and I said, 'You know what? This cannot go on.'"

Messina offered $800 of her own money to make the women's prize $1,000.

She hopes the campaign will continue to bring equality in future years and motivate girls in all aspects of their lives.