The latest
Thursday Jun 14, 2018
Message from Nora and Jessica
We are Nora and Jess- two amateur boxers preparing for our first fights at a charity event in May. We are working our tails off in the gym in preparation for Haymakers 4 Hope, a charity that raises money for the Dana Farber Cancer Research Institute and the Jimmy Fund. Together we will raise $4,000 (or more!) for this worthy cause. On a more selfish note, we're also hoping to bring a good name to our all-women suburban boxing gym!
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Thursday Jun 14, 2018
Hope NYC VI: Rich Beecher
During the coming months, we’ll be highlighting our fighters in training for the upcoming Hope NYC in New York City on November 16th. They’ve committed to four months of fundraising and training in preparation to get in the ring and literally fight for a cure. Whether they've had first hand experience, their father has passed or their friend has put up a victory against the disease – they’ve all got a story to tell and they’ve all got a reason to fight. Below you’ll hear from Rich Beecher, fighting out of Mendez Boxing in New York City.Where are you from? The mean streets of Baltimore, Maryland.Where’d you go to college? Towson University where I played lacrosse and was a double major in Finance and Accounting.Did you play any sports growing up? I played football and lacrosse. As a kid, I was a bit chunky and my football teammates called me "Bubba"What do you do for work? I am Director of Investor Relations for a Private Equity firm in New York.Why boxing? Did you ever picture yourself fighting? After college, I was looking for a competitive workout and tried mixed martial arts. I didn't love MMA so much but I fell in love with boxing.Why on earth did you sign up to fight?? I had gotten fat after my daughter was born and needed the motivation to get back into the gym. Also, I had been looking for a worthwhile charity to get involved with. A friend introduced me to Haymakers For Hope and I called Andrew Myerson that week to learn more. Once I spoke to Andrew, I knew this was an organization that I wanted to be a part of and I couldn't wait to sign up to #KOCancer.You’re stepping in the ring to literally fight for a cure - where are you drawing your inspiration from? How has cancer affected you? Cancer has affected my life in a major way. When I was 20 years old I was a living organ donor for my Uncle who had liver cancer. I donated 70% of my liver in 2002. That experience had such a profound impact on my life in so may ways. Since then, many of my loved ones and friends have battled this horrible disease. Currently, a lacrosse teammate of mine is battling prostate cancer, and he is 35 years old! Cancer can affect anyone at any time and I am determined to do my part to help.What is going to be the most difficult thing to give up during your training? (beer, cheeseburgers, time spent watching TV?) Early mornings with my wife and one year old daughter. The best part of my morning is walking into my daughter's room and seeing the joy on her face. I get to the gym in the mornings before work so I've had to adjust my schedule and that is by far the hardest thing to give up.When you’re not throwing punches and training -- what other hobbies/interests do you have? I'm a huge Baltimore Ravens fan. I enjoy working out (CrossFit, running, hiking etc.), playing with my daughter, going to concerts with friends and date night with my wife.Who do you think is the most excited to watch you get punched in the face come fight night? It's tough to say. My wife is certainly excited and many of my friends are placing side bets on the fight. I think there are many family friends and colleagues who are excited to see me get punched in the face (and to watch me punch some faces as well).Be sure to check out his fundraising page here and wish him luck! Best of luck, Rich!
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Thursday Jun 14, 2018
Belles of the Brawl V: Rebecca LeSaffre
During the coming months, we’ll be highlighting our fighters in training for the upcoming Belles of the Brawl V in Boston on October 5th. They’ve committed to four months of fundraising and training in preparation to get in the ring and literally fight for a cure. Whether they've had first hand experience, their father has passed or their friend has put up a victory against the disease – they’ve all got a story to tell and they’ve all got a reason to fight. Below you’ll hear from Rebecca LeSaffre, fighting out of The Way in Woburn, MA.Where are you from? I grew up in Revere but now live in MelroseWhere’d you go to college? I graduated from Salem State in 1987 with a B.S. In Business, and then returned to school and graduated from North Shore in 2011 with an Associates as a Physical Therapist Assistant.Did you play any sports growing up? No. I went to a Catholic School and at that time there were very few sports that were offered to females.What do you do for work? I opened my own fitness studio in November of 2016 called Everlasting Fitness!Why boxing? I think that in addition to being a great total body workout, boxing is also an excellent stress reliever and as I woman I also find it very empowering.Did you ever picture yourself fighting? At first no, I was happy hitting the heavy bag, but once I started working with mitts, I started to get more of a feel for what it would be like to actually box, so I decided to take it to the next level and apply to Haymakers.Why on earth did you sign up to fight?? I had a few friends that did Haymakers and saw what a great experience they had and what an amazing organization is was, so I decided to challenge myself. At age 54 I also wanted to show that age is just a number and you can do anything you put your mind to if you work hard enough.You’re stepping in the ring to literally fight for a cure - where are you drawing your inspiration from? How has cancer affected you? I draw my inspiration from my Dad who passed from colon cancer at age 64. He was a Marine Corps Veteran of 38 years and I watched him battle cancer as hard as he possibly could, never giving up right until the very end.What is going to be the most difficult thing to give up during your training? (beer, cheeseburgers, time spent watching TV?) Probably time spent with my family. Between work and training, I don’t have much free time.When you’re not throwing punches and training -- what other hobbies/interests do you have? I love to lift weights and hang out with my husband and 2 children.Who do you think is the most excited to watch you get punched in the face come fight night? Well probably my clients. They claim that I torture them in class, which is so not true, so they might want to see me get hit, if not them maybe my kids!Be sure to check out her fundraising page here and wish her luck! Best of luck, Rebecca!
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Thursday Jun 14, 2018
Hope NYC VI: Nick Boles
During the coming months, we’ll be highlighting our fighters in training for the upcoming Hope NYC in New York City on November 16th. They’ve committed to four months of fundraising and training in preparation to get in the ring and literally fight for a cure. Whether they've had first hand experience, their father has passed or their friend has put up a victory against the disease – they’ve all got a story to tell and they’ve all got a reason to fight. Below you’ll hear from Nick Boles, fighting out of Gotham Gym in New York City.Where are you from? I grew up in small town outside of Lake Tahoe, California called Grass Valley. It was a great place to grow up. Nestled in the Sierra Mountain Foothills. We had the best of both worlds, great summers at the river and fantastic skiing in the winter.Where did you go to college? I attended Seattle University. It was an amazing time to be in Seattle in the 90’s. I got to experience the tale end of the grunge movement and beginning of the tech industry. My college was located in downtown Seattle on Capital Hill. I felt like I was fully immersed in the Seattle scene.Did you play any sports growing up? I grew up playing just every sport I could sign up for. Baseball, Basketball, Soccer, Football, Swimming, Gymnastics and even Dance. However, as I got older, I concentrated mainly on basketball and dance.What do you do for work? I work for the women’s fashion brand Sam Edelman as the VP of Visual. In this role I get to work closely with the founders Sam and Libby Edelman on all creative aspects of the brand which include Store Design, Marketing, Branding and Packaging Design, and many other areas.Why boxing? Did you ever picture yourself fighting? I had never considered boxing as a form of exercise until one day my step son mentioned that he was interested in learning. I reached out to Gotham Gym and we started going to the gym together to learn how to box. I found out quickly that it was the hardest workout I had ever done and I became completely addicted to it. Pretty soon I found myself going to the gym on my own to work out on the bags and take classes. My enthusiasm for the sport and for Gotham Gym spread to the rest of my family and now my step daughter and wife have joined in on the action. My wife has definitely become the badass in the family!Why on earth did you sign up to fight? I signed up for the fight because I wanted to challenge myself to do something that is completely against my nature. I was in the gym last year while all the Gotham fighters were training for Haymakers and I watched them go through the grueling four months of hard work and I was inspired to take on that challenge for myself.You’re stepping in the ring to literally fight for a cure – where are you drawing your inspiration from? How has cancer affected you? My inspiration to get in the ring and fight for a cure stems from wanting to support two great organizations, Haymakers for Hope and Candlelighters NYC. Both of these organizations allow me to do something meaningful and give back to people who need and appreciate the support. When I was introduced to Candlelighters NYC by a close friend, I was so moved by how they support kids and their families going through cancer treatment. Having my own family, I imagined what it would be like to be going through what these families and kids are going through fighting cancer. I immediately decided I would do whatever I could to support their efforts.What is going to be the most difficult thing to give up during your training? The hardest thing for me to give up are cheeseburgers! I belong to a burger of the month club with my close friends. Every month we choose a new restaurant in NYC and try out their burger. This commitment requires me to do a lot of independent study before each meeting. It’s going to be extremely hard to give up those juicy burgers!When you’re not throwing punches and training - what other hobbies/interests do you have? I love to play golf, but don’t get to as much as I would like. I also love to spend time with family, especially my Lab George. We go everywhere together.Who do you think is the most excited to watch you get punched in the face come fight night? I would say it’s definitely my wife and kids. It will be their reward for having to listen to me talk about boxing nonstop for the next 4 months.Be sure to check out his fundraising page here and wish him luck! Best of luck, Nick!
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Thursday Jun 14, 2018
Belles of the Brawl V: Hillary Goodall
During the coming months, we’ll be highlighting our fighters in training for the upcoming Belles of the Brawl V in Boston on October 5th. They’ve committed to four months of fundraising and training in preparation to get in the ring and literally fight for a cure. Whether they've had first hand experience, their father has passed or their friend has put up a victory against the disease – they’ve all got a story to tell and they’ve all got a reason to fight. Below you’ll hear from Hillary Goodall, fighting out of EverybodyFights in Boston, MA.Where are you from? Dover, MassachusettsWhere did you go to college? Gettysburg College in PennsylvaniaDid you play any sports growing up? I played lacrosse and swam growing up.What do you do for work? I work at BNY Mellon as a Fixed Income Client Analyst.Why boxing? Did you ever picture yourself fighting? I can honestly say I have never pictured myself fighting (and still can’t!). But, after attending a few Haymakers for Hope events and seeing the energy in the room, I knew I wanted to be a part of one.Why on earth did you sign up to fight? It’s a challenge, and pushes me outside my comfort zone. My dad and my cousin McCahey have both stepped into the ring and said it was one of the best experiences of their life.You’re stepping in the ring to literally fight for a cure- where are you drawing our inspiration from? How has cancer affected you? My inspiration is coming from seeing my grandmother, aunt and uncle all lose their battles to cancer, as well as seeing friends and acquaintances fight. My hope is that my generation can be the generation to cure cancer, and that one day a cancer diagnosis will be as easy to cure as the flu.What is going to be the most difficult thing to give up during your training? Pizza (with extra ranch and extra hot sauce).When you’re not throwing punches and training, what other interest and hobbies do you have? I love to read, cook and spend as much time as I can outside.Who do you think is the most excited to watch you get punched in the face come fight night? My dad!Be sure to check out her fundraising page here and wish her luck! Best of luck, Hillary!
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Thursday Jun 14, 2018
Belles of the Brawl V: Leigh Cassidy
During the coming months, we’ll be highlighting our fighters in training for the upcoming Belles of the Brawl V in Boston on October 5th. They’ve committed to four months of fundraising and training in preparation to get in the ring and literally fight for a cure. Whether they've had first hand experience, their father has passed or their friend has put up a victory against the disease – they’ve all got a story to tell and they’ve all got a reason to fight. Below you’ll hear from Leigh Anne Cassidy, fighting out of EverybodyFights in Boston, MA.Where are you from? I’m originally from Swampscott – A small town on the water just north of Boston, but now I call South Boston home.Where’d you go to college? I went to a small university in the Berkshires called UMASS Amherst. GO U!Did you play any sports growing up? I played soccer, basketball and ran track growing up. I was also voted class klutz in my high school year book, so my athletic abilities are somewhat questionable.What do you do for work? I am a B2B Marketing Manager for a tech startup in Cambridge called CarGurus. I manage the marketing efforts in the new countries we launch in.Why boxing? Did you ever picture yourself fighting? I took my first boxing class about 4 years ago. It took me approximately 3 weeks into my Class Pass membership to finally muster up the courage to sign up (and attend) my first boxfiit class at Everybody Fights. Since then I’ve been hooked! As someone who avoids conflict like the plague, I’ve never really imagined myself fighting, but I am excited to bring the skills I’ve learned over the past few years to the ring.Why on earth did you sign up to fight?? I attended my first Belles event 3 years ago and LOVED it! I don’t know if it was the energy of the fighters, the roar of the crowd, or the fact that the event raises money to help fight a disease I HATE, but I’ve always wanted to participate and I’m feeling hashtag blessed to be fighting this year.You’re stepping in the ring to literally fight for a cure - where are you drawing your inspiration from? How has cancer affected you? My inspiration to fight comes from my mom who is a three-time cancer survivor, and from my friend Rita who lost her battle with cancer this past summer. I’ve yet to meet someone that cancer hasn’t affected in some way, and I look forward to the day I meet someone it hasn’t. It’s time to make cancer something of the past. I figure if my mom can beat cancer three times, I can handle three rounds in the ring (fingers crossed).What is going to be the most difficult thing to give up during your training? (beer, cheeseburgers, time spent watching TV?) During my training, it’s going to be quite difficult not eating whatever I want, whenever I want. It’s also going to be hard refusing cocktails at our weekly company happy hours.When you’re not throwing punches and training -- what other hobbies/interests do you have? My best friend and I always joke that we don’t have hobbies – (sigh) how depressing! But when I’m not at work you can find me walking my adorable puppy Toby, browsing on Zillow, looking at real estate properties I for sure cannot afford, or grabbing a glass of vino with friends. And if I’m not doing any of the things listed above, I’m probably watching the bachelorette curled up on my couch.Who do you think is the most excited to watch you get punched in the face come fight night? I’m guessing my boyfriend because at the 1st Annual Cassidy Family Christmas Talent Show last year, I displayed my “boxing skills” as my talent, and in true class klutz fashion, I punched him straight in the nose, in front of my whole family.Be sure to check out her fundraising page here and wish her luck! Best of luck, Leigh!
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Thursday Jun 14, 2018
About Jessica Gravel from Striking Beauties
I'm 31 years old, married, and the mama to a 16 month old little girl named Emmeline. I'm from Cumberland, RI and recently moved to North Attleboro, MA. I work as a corporate actions analyst for an investment management company in Boston. I'm also working on earning my MBA from Suffolk University.I've been working out at Striking Beauties for about 3 years now. I loved the boxing and the Muay Thai classes. The workouts were more challenging and more interesting than hitting the treadmill at those $10/month gyms. I was hooked on SB! I loved it so much that I was in boxing classes through my entire pregnancy. After having a baby I returned to boxing to lose the baby weight.Now that I'm training for Haymakers for Hope (H4H) life is crazy. My weekly routine consists of running, bootcamp classes, boxing classes, sparring, shadow boxing, and small group training sessions. Balancing family, work, school, and training has been tough to say the least. I wouldn't be able to train for this fight if I didn't have the full support of my husband, Josh, and my daughter. We are also blessed with many family members that help make it possible for me to drag myself into the gym on a daily basis. Thank you Gravel's, Joyce's, Pellerin's, and Lamarre's. And thank you to SB for providing babysitting!
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Thursday Jun 14, 2018
About Nora Swartwout from Striking Beauties
Hi! I am a 28-year old full-time school psychologist at a middle school in Rhode Island.I was a swimmer in high school and college and have since participated in some short road races and triathlons to find an outlet for my competitive side, but nothing has filled this void as well as boxing. I got into the sport almost two years ago, taking classes and participating in the occasional sparring session, but I've taken my training to a whole new level since being selected to fight in Haymakers. After receiving the news at the end of January life has become a never-ending cycle of sleeping, working, and training, but I'm hoping to see results in May when I step into the ring.Two days after the Haymakers event, I will also be participating in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, a two-day, 39 mile walk to raise money for breast cancer research! I participated in this event last year and absolutely loved it, but now my hope is to simply to survive the weekend by meeting all of my fundraising goals and being able to walk on May 21st!
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Thursday Jun 14, 2018
Haymakers Visits Redline Fight Sports
Last night Haymakers stopped by Redline Fight Sports in Central Square to check in on Blair Holbrook. Monday nights Redline has a sparring class, and we observed Blair go a few rounds. Blair looked great! Just like all the fighters this year, Blair's improvement has really been astronomical. We can't wait for May 17th to get here to see everyone lace it up. We are under 2 months away!
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Thursday Jun 14, 2018
Haymakers Visits The Ring
This afternoon, The Haymakers crew went to The Ring Boxing Club by BU to see one of the two fighters working out there. Although he got in the game a little late, Frankie Stavrianopoulos was looking good! After much improvement over the last week, Frankie got in the ring a few times to spar with a couple of different people. He held his own in the ring, and will definitely be ready to go come May 17th at the House of Blues in Boston.
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