Living The Fight Life: What I’ve Learned in 10 Years of Competitive Boxing

I’ve been boxing more than 10 years but it feels like just the other day I stepped into the ring for my first sanctioned bout!  June 15^th, 2013, in a packed, sold-out charity event with an audience of around 400 spectators who were cheering and screaming for what nobody knew would be fight of the night!

That very first time! My face says it all I think!

That first journey into the ring was about was around six months and in addition to the training and fundraising we were going through two other big life events – a huge home reno and the adoption of our now 11-year-old.  I always knew how to plan and prioritize during stressful times, but the first half of 2013 required immense discipline to stay on track.  I believe it was that discipline, consistency with training that helped me through some of the obstacles that year or at least helped me face the adversity.  I’ll go into that a little more so keep reading.

It’s still nostalgic when I think about that first bout.  I remember the last round feeling like it was slow motion.  I could hear my coach, but I could also hear my people cheering – all of them loud and clear.  I got the W, but fun fact, that first fight was not on my bucket list.  All I knew was that I had to do it again and next time I wanted it to be a club show or a tournament.

I took some time off after that to be a mom and get my new house right.  I still boxed to stay in shape and eventually voiced that I want to compete again.  In my head all I wanted (at the time) was one club show fight to see how it would feel in comparison to all the flashing lights from the first.  Most of all, I just want to fight again.

My first boxing photo shoot. Taken by an old colleague. We had so much fun!

I was back in training mode, sometimes with toddler in tow.  It took almost 6 months to find an opponent and when we did, she had 3 or 4 fights and was undefeated.  She was shorter and lighter, and I had to cut around 12 lbs. if I wanted the fight and of course I said yes.  Little did I know it would be the hardest thing I’d have to do at that time.  I remember my coach asked if they’d meet us a bit of the way with weight – it was a hard no, but it didn’t faze me.  I was a woman on a mission to get in there and showcase my boxing skills.

Fight day came faster than I ever imagined.  Made weight, hair braided, game face on and game plan set.  I was ready.  Different nerves than the first time that’s for sure.  I took home the W.  I was ecstatic.  Was it different?  Not so much.  The outside elements perhaps.  Even though I was nervous I was way calmer, and entered the ring with a little more confidence I lacked the first time around but once the bell dings, and the ref says “box”, there’s no difference.  It’s a fight.

I remember not being tired AT ALL and being so proud of that.  When I watched it back and listened to the commentators, I was SO proud of my performance.  I boxed, slipped, ducked, blocked and they were impressed with my footwork and overall movement. After that fight I knew I’d be back, and my goal was to put on a good show every single time and without sounding too cocky, I think I have.

Quick share:  One of the most heartfelt compliments I received a few years ago was after one of my fights.  A stranger came to congratulate both my opponent and I in the washroom and turned to me and said, “I came to this show because you were on the card.  Your fights are always entertaining, and you inspire me.  Keep doing your thing because we need women like you out here.”

So fast forward to 2023 – read about my last fight here.  A decade of the life of an athlete – and now turned coach.  As this milestone approached, I thought about how I could best articulate and share this amazing journey with you all.  I struggled with what I thought people wanted to hear and then got to thinking about what I get ask most often and it’s “why boxing?” 

I landed on listing 10 of my biggest  learnings from the past decade with the intention that it might answer the question above.  There are tons more and if you’re a boxer yourself, please feel free to add to it in the comments!

Here goes:

1. Boxing is THE best workout. You can walk into a boxing-conditioning class after a long day fatigued and lethargic, but I guarantee you, once all those good hormones are activated and those feel-good endorphins are released, you’ll walk out a different person.  You’ll reap the benefits of both physical and mental strength.
2. Your confidence will soar. The real joy for me is watching a client of any age transform session after session.  The shy kid smiling and walking upright with extra confidence and the adult going through a big life change literally finding a new passion through learning a new sport.
3. It teaches you to overcome adversity and face obstacles head on. There are good days in a boxing gym and then there are days you have to dig very deep to get through it and that takes mental toughness and grit that translates into the real world.
4. Learning is a process. Trust it and focus on your progress only.
5. It teaches you patience. Feedback I received after I had a hard sparring session while training for my first fight was, “it will click and when it does, you’ll know.”  Well, I waited and waited some more and finally it “clicked” when I least expected it.  It was still a tough sparring day, but I walked out of there with a swagger, literally!
6. Community – you will always have your boxing people! I’ve competed in multiple provinces here in Canada and I try to visit a boxing gym whenever I travel and it doesn’t matter your background, colour or creed, everyone is welcome.  There’s always encouragement and nothing is personal.  We’re all just boxers when the bell dings.
7. Boxing humbles you, fast. The only way to get better is to work hard at it.  Some days it can be literally blood, sweat & tears.  The things we push our bodies through takes discipline and commitment and there’s nothing like getting punched in the face, gut or ribs to build humility.   Remember, in competition, you win some and sometimes the decision doesn’t go your way – it’s the game and can be frustrating after working so hard but when you’re committed to this sport, you’ll push past all the obstacles.
8. Train hard, fight easy. I’ve won and I’ve lost but every single fight I know I put in all the work I could leading up to the fight and gave my all in the ring.  I’ve said this before, I step out a different person and each time is learning experience.
9. You can’t “play” boxing. You can’t show up some of the time or when you’re feeling motivated, especially as a competitor.  It’s a way of life and for me, that grind is replaced with a calm that is hard to articulate. A strength that comes from deep down inside and the drive to want to do it all again tomorrow.
10. Boxing is for everyone.

This sport has helped me through many tough moments over the years and when you hear people (a.k.a. me) say that boxing is therapy it’s not so much punching someone or getting punched, but more about being able to get into my own space for that hour or 2 and just work.  Direct all that life is throwing at me into something that will benefit me both mentally and physically and help me push through the obstacles and the lemons life can give you – think pandemic and oh boy, think perimenopause during the pandemic!  #iykyk

It has been a ride that’s for sure and to quote the true cliché if I may: “it doesn’t get easier, you only get stronger/better”.  I’m a different person/athlete each time I enter and exit the ring after a bout.  We learn and we grow and most of all, boxing has helped me find my true purpose which is helping others find theirs.  Helping them find it but more importantly, helping them see that they have it and that they can do or achieve any goal they set their minds to.

So what’s next?  I don’t know when my next fight is.  I’ll likely have to travel more to get fights as there are not many open class master female fighters just waiting to get a fight.  And no, I don’t have a travel budget just waiting to be used lol, but I can do anything I set my mind to.

Even though I am faced with the reality that nobody has time to make a master female boxer their number one priority, it doesn’t mean I can’t make myself my number 1 priority am I right?  I’ll continue to work, look, network, advocate, and most of all, train my ass off so that I’m always ready!

Keep watching this space.  I’m still going to do some great and crazy things!

#boxer #fighter #livingthatfightlife #amateurboxer #coach #dedication #discipline #commitment #strongismybeautiful #beyourownkindofbeautiful