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.

Tuesday, July 09, 2019

Passion and Purpose... Tuesday, July 9

Two big amazing, amazing, amazing things happened today...
1.  Meeting with Messy Bessy
2.  Cecilia's 60th birthday party

I reached out to Messy Bessy the other month, asking them if we could do a bit of a collab or work together.  Today I went there to their warehouse.  It was nothing like what I expected.  It was so much better and my meeting with them left me with a bit of tears and feeling like my faith in humanity had been totally revived.  Messy Bessy employs at-risk young adults and not only do they employ them but they also educate them.  They have a classroom right in their warehouse actually.  It was awesome.  They're really trying hard to give back to the community and empower the underprivileged so I was so amazed and so humbled by just how far they've really flown with it.  They are my new #goalcompanyvision.  Seriously.

And speaking of goals, my #goalwoman is none other than Cecilia, the CEO and Founder of the Voice of the Free.  The Center of Hope, where I coach 1 of 2 groups of Lil' Sistas, was created by her, by the Voice of the Free.  Tonight I attended her 60th birthday party and I don't know why it didn't dawn on me earlier that some of my Lil' Sistas would be there but when I spotted 6 of them in the crowd, across the room sitting at a table, I got so excited and giggly.  They looked so pretty.  Some of them were wearing bright red lipstick.  They were all dolled up -- hair done so nicely, their best clothes on, and big smiles across their faces.  During the presentation part of the celebration, the Lil' Sistas stood up and sang a song.  Many of them cried but Cecilia just sat there starring at them like a proud mom.  Their lives are forever changed because of her and, likewise, her live is forever changed because of them.  I envy them because of that.  I want someone to look back on their life and say "because of Coach Amy I am different".  

Cecilia has dedicated more than half her life to saving these girls and other human trafficking survivors.  She is an every day hero and it's so humbling to be beside her.  

It was a very humbling day, meeting the crew of Messy Bessy and celebrating Cecilia's birthday with her, and it helped to fuel my passion more with propelling the Lil' Sistas Project further and with continually building up Empowered.  I want to leave a legacy like Cecilia and Messy Bessy.  I want to leave my footprint on as many lives as possible and make it a solid footprint.

When you pay it forward, fight for those who can't, it brings meaning to your life.  It brings a feeling of purpose and need, something that no paycheck will ever begin to ever give you.  And it's a beautiful, beautiful thing.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)