Brampton Cup — Where the Journey Began

This is where it all started. My first time stepping into the ring.

When I first picked up boxing, I was certain of one thing: I had no intention of ever fighting. So when I walked into the gym and Coach Virgil casually told me he had signed me up for a fight, my stomach instantly did flips. Was I excited? Yes. Terrified? Absolutely. Did I immediately doubt whether I’d be ready? Without question.

And that’s exactly why I had to do it.

Every part of the journey; the good days and the bad, the moments when everything clicked and the days when nothing worked, the smiles and the tears; they all played a role in the performance the boxing community witnessed at that tournament. I trained relentlessly, fully aware that I would be the underdog. I was facing girls with far more experience and far more fights under their belts.

The preparation was intense. Advice came from all directions, and I learned to take what worked for me and leave the rest. My sparring partners gave me the reality checks I needed. Shoutout to Scarlett for showing me what sparring feels like when you’re truly outclassed, and to the girls who never held back and kept the intensity high; I couldn’t have achieved those results without you.

During the tournament, I was able to showcase my conditioning, determination, and will. I loved the challenge and the opportunity to put everything we worked on into action. Physically, I was ready; but it was the mental game that surprised me most. There are moments from that fight I still remember vividly, including the thoughts racing through my mind. They were surpringly unlike me: “Kill or be killed” on one hand, and “Wow, these gloves are small and my face is wide open” on the other.

That balance has come to define me as a boxer. I recognize the danger, but I have no intention of stopping. My goal is always to compete and dominate on every level.