On May 19th I'll be competing in a USA Boxing sanctioned amateur boxing match in front of 2000 at the House of Blues in Boston. I grew up idolizing olympic and pro boxers, and training with some of them in the offseason. To compete for a crowd though, will be the fulfillment of a lifetime dream. And to do so while raising a significant amount of money for the American Cancer Society will be an added pleasure.

My Grandmother, Ruth, has dedicated her entire life to cancer research and ensuring individuals needing it receive the best possible care and when necessary the comforts of a good friend. She's been knocked down more times and in more ways than any reasonable person should bear, but has never failed to get up on TWO. I'm excited to be participating in this event, which raises an unprecedented amount of money to support cancer research and care initiatives. Ruth will tell me, like always, that winning or losing doesn't matter as much as simply trying, and having fun. She's right of course, but I know she likes to see me win too; whether she'll admit it out loud or not. I don't know if I will, but I'll certainly try. And I will definitely keep getting up.