When I first started boxing, my paternal Gramma asked me what I was doing differently - she could tell that I had made a big change in my life. I told her that I joined a boxing gym and she told me “keep it up.”

So, keep it up I did and if she were still here today, I’d tell her that her encouragement prompted me to apply for Haymakers for Hope. It’s a true privilege to be able to contribute to something much bigger than myself.

I’m fighting in honor of my family members, both those alive who have battled cancer and those we’ve lost to it. Most recently, we lost my Mom’s cousin, Diane Natale Lassonde, to lung cancer in January. She was someone who lived fearlessly and leaves a legacy behind her that will be remembered forever.

In the words of my maternal Grammie, “if you want to do something, just do it. Don’t wait. Tell people you love them. And have fun.”

Thank you for supporting me on this journey and helping give life saving researchers the resources needed to fully focus their efforts on finding a cure. All of my donations will be contributed to Mass General Hospital's Cancer Institute - specifically lung cancer research and the EGFR gene.