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.

Sunday, December 04, 2016

Being Called Up and Called Out... Sunday, December 4

Now that I'm back to my boxing I'm overdosing with boxing -- Fight Club sparring on Friday, 12 rounds of boxing yesterday and then today it was back to Cabbagetown Boxing to watch live amateur boxing. 

Boxing, boxing, boxing... as if there were any other sport worthy of my love.

It's only the best and the hardest sport in the world.  Google it!

I had come to Cabbagetown Boxing to watch the fights after the Captain had picked me up from church and we had brunch together.  The plan was to leave church at 1:30pm, have lunch with the Captain and the be at Cabbagetown for 2:30pm, when the fights were scheduled to start.  Well, that was the plan but the plan rather flopped the minute Rev Davis at my church suddenly called my name out during the service.  Everything got pushed back and I was late -- late for brunch and then late for boxing.

"I'd like to call up Amy", he said.

I had heard him say my name and my whole body jolted at the surprise of it all.  I looked at my gal pal standing beside me in my pew and then looked around, hoping that somewhere in another pew there was another girl with the same name as me.  He then repeated himself and reached out his hand to me, to motion for me to come join him at the very front of the church sanctuary.  So I did.  I made my way to the front.   He put his hand on my shoulder.  I didn't know whether to look at him directly so I kept my head down, stared at my hands and occasionally lifted my head to look at his face.  I was so shocked to be standing there.  Never before have I ever been called out by the pastor at any church to come to the front podium but there I stood there today when the pastor talking about me and all eyes on me.  It was so nerve-racking but at the same time I knew it was a big honor.  

He told everyone who I was, mentioned that I've been attending the church from some months now and then he introduced who I've been recently attending church with, Skittles.  To tell you the truth, I don't recall exactly what he said to me even after he had said it because I was so fixated on the fact that there I stood, in front of everyone.  So much for trying to be discreet and blend in with the crowd there... hahaha.  I recall some of what he said and it hit home with me so I was grateful.  He told me something that resonated with me because of something I've been told before by others but never really believed myself and that kind of hit me.  It was definitely a turning moment for me, right there in that big, beautiful church, surrounded by all those genuinely sweet people, with the pastor's hand on my shoulder.

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