“It takes a very special person to lay down not only his body — but also his pride, image, and family name — to step into a cage or ring and fight”.
The reason a fighter puts it all on the line is different from person to person. There is no right answer; there is also no single answer. Think more of a catalog of rationale, a messy one at that. I want you to ultimately know why I’m doing this, who is it for, and why now. Be a part of my journey; taking a glimpse into the mind of a fighter.
Bear with me here.. they do say raw is sometimes better than refined.
Why I fight
Fighting wasn’t my first choice. I played almost every sport available, usually all at the same time. Soccer, basketball, volleyball, wrestling, you name it. All intriguing, but completely incomparable to the physical, emotional, mental, spiritual demands of mixed martial arts.
I started my path of fighting in Muay Thai under the lineage of Ajarn Mike Miles. As a teenager, I tried to balance competition and school, key word is “tried”, and came out with a great baseline of knowledge and technique to progress further from. I took on the many morals and values that are rooted in the tradition of Muay Thai and other contact sports, above all else, these are the most useful and important skills I took from my time there.
My last fight took place in 2016 in Toronto, Ontario to win the 60kg National Championship in Muay Thai as an amateur. Now, it’s been far too long since I’ve fought, and most would wonder, “why now, why boxing?”.
Why now? I say why not? I’d like to stack as many advantages into my corner as possible, including age and good health. There’s no time like now if the resources are present. Why Boxing? To feed a hunger to throw adversity in my own way and see how I can deal with it. I want to thrive on the challenge, to struggle and learn more about myself in the process. It’s all in the name of self-growth and understanding.
Finally, were at the catalogue I promised you (not in chronological order, nor listed in level of importance):
- You can start calling me The Pleasant Pugilist because I certainly do not enjoy hitting or hurting people. I don’t do this because I get some kind of reprieve from seeing others in pain (I’m more into hugging puppies tbh). I fight because I’m willing and driven to fight for a cause that’s beyond myself.
- One of the biggest drivers for me is fighting for Mental Health. I’ve encountered the crippling effects of depression and anxiety since I was a young teenager. Training and fighting has always been a coping mechanism; allowing me to decompress and focus my attention on what’s in front of me, not what’s brewing inside my head. By facing adversities head on, I was able to get my mental health under control. I’ve been lucky enough to be a Keynote speaker at a Mental Health Summit, as well as being able to speak up about Mental Health on my platforms. I’ve been using my experiences to share knowledge, to show understanding & compassion, to encourage people to “fight” for their mental health.
- I fight for all the women swimming upstream in their sport in an attempt to be recognized and valued. If I can inspire the women around me to be fearless and go for what they want, I feel I’ve used my platform and voice effectively.
- I fight because I’m incredibly competitive, almost to a fault. Consider this (story time, buckle up), recently I was making dinner with my boyfriend. I made the mistake of not preheating my pan enough to saute the onions. Huge rookie mistake on my part. I had to point out the mistakes I made and how I would improve next time I did this. He said “You know, I’ve noticed that everything you do, you have to do it to the highest level. Like you aren’t a chef.. It’s alright, the onions will be fine.” The point is, I have an unfed hunger to be the best, to compete at the highest level and flourish.
- Like most, I fight for my family. My entire fascination with fighting came from watching UFC on the weekends with my dad and older brothers. As a young girl, I would watch a fight and then tell my brother I was going to try the moves on them. Synopsis on how that went, got my ass kicked and almost choked out..kids will be kids. Moving on. I know how much it means specifically to my dad, to see his daughter up there showcasing hard work and dedication to her sport; a culmination of moments ever since those weekends watching the fights on the couch. Recently, my dad was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. He’s kicking ass if you’re wondering. To see him fighting his fight, along with the overwhelming realization that life is short and precious, I’m even more encouraged to train hard and be thankful that I’m in good health. The opportunity to have him there to watch me fight again, is the biggest reason I’m doing this. I love you dad.
