Haymakers is giving me a tremendous opportunity to express Gratitude, set Goals and show some Grit by participating in Belles of the Brawl 2016!
From a motivation perspective: I can unfortunately name dozens of family members, neighbors & friends who have fought cancer throughout my lifetime. There are a few folks in particular right now who I keep in mind for motivation, and I hope to tell their stories in coming months. Any time I grumble about getting to the gym for training, I think about them and how lucky I am that it's JUST the gym and not another chemo or doctor's appointment. I'm grateful to have to endure only a couple of minutes of knocking-about in the ring, instead of the hours, weeks and months they push through to be healthy every day.
On a more personal level, Belles gives me a chance to make a special connection with my family. I've watched my dad cherish the sport of boxing since I can remember, and I can’t say we had a mutual appreciation for it when I was growing up. I don’t have brothers, and the 80s fitness scene was more Denise Austin than Ronda Rousey. Boxing simply wasn’t anything I paid much attention to, nor did my dad encourage me to try. That being said, something must have stuck from all those years of Friday Night Fights being on in the living room - or maybe there’s something to it ‘being in your blood’ - because I was hooked (no pun intended) the first time I put on a pair of wraps. This event is as much about him, and us, sharing a father-daughter passion for the very first time. For a 70-something and 30-something year old, it’s a pretty awesome feeling.
Finally it all, and always, comes down to my own kids and family. Beyond it being cute to see a 4 year old doing burpees, I hope they’re inspired to see that you have control to mold your destiny with hard work, dedication and continuous encouragement from the people who love you most (like their dad). I always wanted to be considered ‘an athlete’ - but couldn’t credibly do so. Each day, I’m working my way closer to that goal and Belles will be an important milestone in that journey that I'm thrilled to share with my family, friends and community!