As the story has it, one day I headed to the opposite side of the globe – the Flipside. I arrived in Korea February 16th, 2005 and thought I’d do a year, then leave. I was wrong. I stayed, launched my first company, Flipside Fitness, and then opened Korea's largest boxing club, Hulk's Boxing (now called Hulk's Club).

After 11.5yrs in Korea, I then picked up one day and returned to Toronto, Canada. But then I left again.

Now I live in the Philippines where I am the CEO and head coach of Empowered Clubhouse, the Philippines' first and only boxing clubhouse exclusively just for women. I also am the founder of the Lil' Sistas Project, CEO and designer of Slay Gear and Baa Baa Black Sheep .Ph.

Friday, July 10, 2015

The Sweetness of Strangers... Friday, July 10

One of the girls sitting by me on my flight to Hong Kong had noticed me randomly getting teary-eyed through out the flight so she approached me in the airport, after the plane had landed in Hong Kong. I didn't get into details about why I was so upset but she surprised me by taking off her necklace and putting it on me. It was a simple silver chain with a few leaf charms on it and a little key. She told me her friends had given the charms to her for good luck when she left Hong Kong to study in Toronto. The key was for her diary that she had left there. She said maybe the charms wouldn't give me the luck that they had given her but at least they'd cheer me up. They temporarily totally did. I was touched.
 
While sitting in the Hong Kong airport, I started chatting with a friend back in Canada about boxing via Facebook. I was in Hong Kong and he was in Toronto. I was sitting alone but he was with a friend. It wasn't just any friend though. This particular someone was George Chuvalo, Canadian heavy weight champ of 21 years. He fought Ali and sent him to the hospital actually!!! Very cool!!! Talking to my buddy in Canada and having the great Mr. Chuvalo send me a picture to cheer me up really was cool and did help to cheer me up. Made me miss Canada even more though but it made me smile too.
 
When I arrived in Korea I had pretty much cried my make-up off and slept not a wink. I popped into the airport bathroom to make myself look somewhat presentable and it was a good thing I did too because no sooner did I walk out of the gate but there were two men waiting for me.
 
Welcome back to Korea... Canada I miss you!!!

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