ARTICLE ABOUT MY MOM!!!

[Guest guest]

One of the local free papers in town did a story about my mom fighting and I

wanted to share it. I posted a picture they took in the pictures section.

By Healy

It's Friday night, and is in the boxing ring, sparring with a man who has

about eight inches and 75 pounds on her.Loud rock music playing over the gym's

speakers provides a soundtrack for their dance, a swift exchange of punches and

grunts, punctuated by the jarring buzz of the timer that marks the beginning,

end and almost-end of a three-minute round.

Her trainer, Bonnie Mann, watches from outside the ropes, offering instructions

and words of encouragement. " From your chin — throw them from your chin. There

you go, " she says. The timer sounds. " Time. Good work, guys. "

For , a 56-year-old mother of two and grandmother of four who works full

time, this is a typical Friday evening — completing a series of warm-ups with

her team before getting in the ring to spar, usually six rounds. She leaves the

gym shortly after 9 p.m., fully drained and elated.

It's a challenging end to a busy week, but the rewards are immeasurable, she

says.

" Until you get in the ring and your toes tough the mat, you don't really know

the deep, profound and shocking joy of being able to do something like that. "

Getting into fighting

said she was a typical mom of the 80's and 90's. I was a housewife for many

years before returning to work. I enjoyed working out, I did aerobics for most

of the 80's and than took Karite for a short time and enjoyed it. However, I

began taking boxing classes around 1992 and one thing led to another. I started

sparring and my instructor / trainer Greg McNeally suggested an actual fight. At

first I thought he was nuts, but the more I thought about it and talked it over

with my family I liked it. "

While, is very modest about her past time in the ring she decided to hang

up the gloves in 2000. " I was probably an average fighter with a 50 50 record. I

had a few wins and a few losses. However, around 1999 I began to lose more than

win and it took a toll on my family. I could tell they were getting nervous

about me fighting and it was time to hang up the gloves.

`Revelatory on so many levels'

For , kick boxing is more than a way to burn calories or blow off steam,

more than a mere hobby like gardening or crocheting. It's a source of confidence

and self-discipline, peace and self-reflection. At its most basic, it's a lesson

in survival, requiring mental sharpness along with physical agility.

" Because there's just the two of you in there, and you're under physical siege,

it makes it hard to do what you have to do the most of — which is think how to

put aside the fact that you're getting beaten in the face or kicked in the ribs

[and learn] how to respond to that, how to block that, how to do offense off of

that, how to move your feet in the ring. "

Kick boxing is as much about smarts as it is about strength came as no surprise.

" I would have never said that before I got in the ring years ago, " she said.

" You have to have a mental ability to not crack under pressure. "

In 2008, who had been out of fighting since 2000 was staying active by

running, but significant knee pain was a reminder that she needed a different

routine. When her friend and boxer, Darnell, brought home a heavy bag to train

at home, re-discovered her love of fighting.

" The heavy bag came at a point in my life when I was looking for something new,

and it just happened to show up at the right time. "

A friend suggested she meet Mann, a trainer and instructor at Vero Boxing and a

professional boxer and kick boxer who won the 2005 World Boxing Empire

middleweight title. began attending group classes at the gym, learning

again the elements of boxing and kick boxing, like how to wrap your hands and

properly throw a punch. For several months, the only contact she made was with

the heavy bag — but she couldn't keep her eyes off the ring, she says.

When she finally sparred with a younger man a few weeks ago who had a good 20lbs

on her it was expected for her to get knocked out in round one. While she did

lose she surprised a lot of people in the gym by making it all three rounds and

giving her younger male opponent a good run for his victory. she experienced the

pull of the ring.

" It was so revelatory on so many levels that I wanted to know more. And I was

hooked. "

To watch deliver and dodge punches in the ring, to watch her sweat and

grimace while lunging and weaving, is to experience someone funneling all of her

faculties into the present, grueling moment. It seems like the ultimate

responsibility, one that makes everyday tasks — juggling doctor appointments,

meeting a work deadline — seem almost pleasant. But for , sparring is a way

to temporarily disconnect from those daily obligations.

" It feels really good to be in the ring at my age because I have spent my whole

life taking care of other people, " she said. " In the ring, I'm not responsible

for caring for that other person. All I'm responsible for is doing my absolute

best work, and it's so contrary to what you experience as a mom or even in your

workplace. … You get to leave all that behind. All you have to do is perform —

box, fight. "

says kick boxing has taught her to deal with problems directly, a skill

useful in everyday life.

" In the ring, you have to be engaged. You cannot melt into the shadows. You

cannot evade what's coming. You have to deal with it head on, right now. … I

think it translates across the board. "

Seeking a match

is eager to test her kick boxing skills in an amateur match but has been

unable to find an opponent. Amateur boxers 35 and older belong to the USA

Boxing-sanctioned Masters Boxing Division, which requires licensed boxers to

meet certain criteria. They must pass a physical and complete an application,

and opponents must be matched appropriately based on sex, weight, age and boxing

ability.

If were to seek a license, would be the only female masters boxer

licensed in South Florida through local boxing committee in the USA Boxing

organization.

" I'm constantly saying, `I would love to have a match. I would love to get an

official amateur bout.' I have not been able to find anyone, " she said.

It's hard to find competitive boxers at that level, said ,

registration chairwoman of Florida's LBC.

" Most people use it as recreation. "

Women are more likely to find an opponent for a sanctioned bout " if they're

willing to travel, " said.

It's a problem Mann is familiar with and part of the reason she decided to go

pro.

" It was hard enough being a female in Florida, " she said. " I would [travel] with

a team every weekend, and I only fought 16 times in six years, where I had guys

who had 40 to 50 fights. "

Mann says that of the gym's 398 members, 42 percent are female, but only a few

of them want to be active competitively. The rest are just looking to get in

shape.

A changing landscape

One sign that makes and Mann optimistic about the future of women's boxing

is 9-year-old Eileen Iglesias, a Vero Boxing regular who trains with the team.

After watching boxing on TV, Eileen asked her dad if she could take it up. Her

training philosophy is childlike in its simplicity, yet mature in its

determination.

" To get any good, you need to force yourself, " she said. " That's what I did. I

really like boxing. "

Another assurance is the International Olympic Committee's decision to add

women's boxing to the 2012 London Olympics program. It's a first for the sport,

and advocates expect that the exposure will increase interest and participation.

" The hope is obviously with the Olympics over the next couple of years there

will be a lot of tournaments — national, world tournaments, world championships

— that will really bring women's boxing to the forefront, " Mann said.

For now, will continue her weekly regime of cardio, weight- and

boxing-specific training and participate in Friday night kick boxing matches

once a month, even if she rarely fights someone in her height and weight range.