I have always been able to relate to the fighting lifestyle of boxing. Being an immigrant and moving to America with my mother, we quickly realized we wouldn't have an even playing field - we had to fight our own fight to survive the way we could.

Just like many other families mine has also been struck by cancer. Several years back my aunt and grandmother had lost their own hard-fought battles with cancer.

My grandmother lived in a little village called Azkiz in Siberia, she was my bestfriend. When I would come visit every couple of years I would run to her house every day until people would ask if I was annoying her. Her cancer diagnosis was sudden and her battle very short. We talked on the phone every night while she was in the hospital about when she would get better, the plans we'd make, when I would come back and visit - until our final call moments before she passed. There were no more plans, no more trips to make, no more excited knocks from me on her door. Being in America with access to great healthcare while she was in Siberia fighting alone really took a toll on me and changed my outlook on the world & the role I play in it.

It was a similar situation with my aunt as well, she was living in Ireland at the time and I specifically remember how difficult it was for my step-father to be in America while she was fighting alone.

These two experiences really helped me understand the gravity of cancer. It is not just the person who fights, it also ripples throughout family and friends. My aunt left behind, a home, a family, a daughter. All of which will never be the same, they now have their own battles to face because cancer took their person away from them.

My inspiration is to fight for the memory of my grandmother & aunt, to raise awareness for how deeply Cancer strikes and to hopefully inspire someone else to always keep fighting!