She’s 5' 3" and 100 pounds, but she could take you out
“You’re too pretty to do that.” Sarah Orsita has received this response countless times upon revealing to an opinionated onlooker that she is an amateur boxer. At 5’ 3” and 100 pounds, Orsita donned wide-frame glasses which were more indicative of her BA in biology than her love for boxing. She explained that, contrary to her loved ones’ apprehension, the vain notion of protecting her nose from fracture isn’t her biggest concern when she steps in the ring. And often, her opponents consist of more than just the other boxers in the ring, as she is constantly squaring up against a myriad of stereotypes about women.
“It’s such a weird stereotype that tough girls are lesbians,” said Orsita, explaining that she’s been asked a few times if she is gay. “Tough girls are jerks. They’re mean… I don’t get the correlation between being in charge or being tough and being a jerk. You know, if a guy’s bossy, he’s the boss. If a girl’s bossy, she’s a jerk.”
Determined to check off something that had been on her bucket list since she was 13 years old, Orsita ignored all the voices against her and began training for her first fight almost three years ago. For months, she spent nearly three hours after work every day training to get in the ring on Nov. 6, 2015. Competing in the lowest weight class for the senior division in “Friday Night Fights,” Orsita faced off against Crista Orefice, a woman with a few years on Orsita as well as six fights’ experience under her belt.
“I lost,” Orsita admitted with a chuckle. “It taught me what I was doing wrong. I came in — I was super defensive. I didn’t like get in there and pretend like I owned the ring. That’s what you have to do for amateur fights — you have to make it look like you have confidence in the ring, even though, for your first fight, you can barely breathe.”
Some of Orsita’s family members were initially among the naysayers when it came to her desire to box. When she invited them to her first match, her aunt in particular claimed, “I can’t watch that!” But she came nonetheless, and when the action picked up, her earlier opposition was quickly forgotten. After a few back-and-forth hits, one of which landed on Orsita’s face, causing a split lip, her aunt was one of the loudest fans cheering, “Beat her up!”
“Some people just can’t wrap their brains around it,” Orsita explained, referring to her aunt’s initial reaction. “They can see guys beating up on guys, but they can’t see girls beating up on girls. I don’t know if it’s because we’re supposed to be delicate and fragile and guys are rough and tough. It really is a mindset. Once you break that mindset, you’re fine.”
Orsita recalled one instance a few weeks ago, when she saw a guy and a girl arguing on the streets of New York City. Orsita was walking with her friends, but when she witnessed the man push the woman, it immediately triggered the fighter in her.
“You can’t walk by that,” she said, getting worked up just talking about it. “So I stopped and I got myself in stance just in case. I was ready. I never had to use it, but if I need to, it’s there.”
Though she was able to defuse the situation without using violence, Orsita explained that possessing the ability to defend herself is an incredible confidence-booster. As a trainer, that’s something she hopes to instill in all of her students, including the high school girls at this year’s Fabulous Teen Conference, where she taught the basics of boxing and self-defense.
“Honestly, I would suggest every female takes boxing, judo, some sort of self-defense,” she said. “First of all, it’s good cardio. But just to get your confidence up.”
One attendee at the conference suffered from right hand paresis, a disability which prevented her from moving her arm from its bent position against her chest. She didn’t want to participate in the boxing exercise, but, refusing to take no for an answer, Orsita wrapped the girl’s strong hand and taught her how to punch. At first she was nervous and unsure, but after a few tries, her swings gained power. The other girls cheered her on, and by the end, she wore a smile that demonstrated her boosted confidence.
“My goal with the teen conference is to introduce our girls to strong, bold, confident role models who take risk and fail and try again with even more determination,” explained Finding the Fabulous founder Lauren Curiotto. “Sarah is always pushing herself to try new things, pursue her passions — even when they appear impossible — and become the best version of herself. When I asked her to lead a boxing self-defense session, I knew that not only would the girls find confidence in their bodies, but they would be empowered to step outside their comfort zone and take on new challenges with a fearless mindset. I wasn’t wrong. It was incredible to see the transformation our girls underwent, some of them believing in themselves for the first time in a long time.”
Carol Mainardi, a second-degree black belt in Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karate and an instructor for the Street Smart Self Defense program at Montclair State University, echoed the importance of confidence. “Psychologically, if you have already fought the enemy — whatever that enemy might be, internal or external — if you already know how to do it, you’ve already won,” she said, explaining that self-defense training is the key. “So basically you’re walking around…less fearful. You can be empowered and you can take control of the situation that normally would take control of you.”
Despite her “tough girl” attitude, and the fact that she’s currently training at the police academy, Orsita isn’t all brawn. Before pursuing a career as a police officer, Orsita worked as a scientist creating medical devices for bone and skin regeneration. Her biography on the Fabulous Conference website aptly labeled her: “scientist by day, boxer by night.” Defying the initial perception of those watching her speed by on her motorcycle, or command respect as platoon leader at the police academy, or throw a powerful punch, Orsita explained that she desires to be a wife and mother one day.
“I feel like a bad feminist,” she said. “I’m not a feminist, but I feel like a bad tough girl because I want to get married and I want to have kids… I can be tough, I can be a cop, or I can be whatever I want and still want a family.”
“The whole thing with women in stereotypical roles is a mindset,” Orsita continued. “The only way to break it is show them. Watch me get hit in the face. It’s fine. It’s not that big of a deal.”
