Keep Doing What You Do... Monday, November 22

A bit chunk of my life revolves around my boxing, I’m sure this is probably obvious. Whether it’s actual training at the boxing club or doing other related training, like weight training or running, meeting with boxing sponsors, watching boxing on TV or live in person, or simply talking about the sport, no day goes on without boxing making it’s way into in.

Most of my paycheck comes from my English tutoring but where I put most of my time, effort and passion is into my boxing. I’m an English tutor by day but boxer 24/7. Tutoring is what I do, boxing is what I am. Sure I love tutoring, my students rock, but I do it mainly to make ends meet cause let’s face it, being a professional athlete is a hard knock life for the most part. Sure there are many famous and filthy rich athletes that you could list off the top of your head but even the most successful of athletes resort to doing additional work, like creating their own clothing line or cologne, doing advertisements and promotional work, and so on.

THE TUTORING PART OF MY WEEK
Samsung Asan VP = 5 hours
Samsung Cheonan VP = 3 hours
Samsung Group Class = 2 hours
Church Kiddies Class = 9 hours
Total Tutoring Hours = 19 hours

THE BOXING PART OF MY WEEK
Running = 6 hours
Boxing = 6 hours
Weight training = 4 hours
Sponsor meetings = 2 hours
Watching boxing on TV = 5 hours
Personal training = 2 hours
Helping Out at the Boxing Club = 3 hours
Total Boxing-Oriented Hours = 27 hours

Today I had my photo shoot for my upcoming fight. KBC is going to be doing a promotional poster for the tournament that I’ll be fighting in so they asked me to get some shots taken. I decided to go with a photographer I’ve worked with before, the same photographer that Snickers’ used for his Philippines’ fight poster picture.

I had arrived early at the studio and no sooner had the photographer walked in but I then decided to strip down to my game uniform. I thought nothing of it until I saw the look of the photographer’s face and noticed the front seating area full of people stand up to peer into the private studio room where I stood wearing my game shorts and a top smaller than the sports bra I had under it. I guess I should have waited for him to close the curtain... hahaha.

I’ve come to the conclusion lately that no matter what anyone says about my boxing, both the negative and positive feedback, they can’t take away from me all the experiences I’ve gained because of boxing, also both the negative and the positive. I say this because it’s easy for people to say what they want but it’s another thing for them to do what I do. I know I am doing what so many people wish they could do but don’t and I consider myself blessed to be able to pursue my boxing. I’ve got an overly supportive husband who has made a world of a difference in how I feel about boxing and how I train, a supportive coach and numerous awesome teammates who have become a second set of family members to me, sponsors who have helped me along the way, and I am no longer the underdog in female Korean boxing but am instead a known and favored face.

I originally took up boxing in Canada after a brutally violent fight that sent me to the hospital with a broken hand and the guy I faught home with groan injuries. Boxing was a means of protection I took up but never did I ever imagine in my wildest dreams that I'd continue on with my boxing to become the first foreign female in Korea to turn professional. Boxing has opened up a whole new world to me and though I know I am not the best of boxers, I’ve never claimed to be, I do know that I put a lot of blood, sweat, tears, and a hell of a lot of heart into my boxing.

I am the best boxer I can be right now but tomorrow I will be a better boxer than today.

No one can say I don’t put my best foot forward or don’t put all my heart into it. And no one has any right to say anything negative about me with regards to what I’m doing because they’re not in my shoes… I guess I should say "my boots" (as in my Adidas boxing boots, hahaha).

It’s one thing to talk, it’s another thing to DO.

So to all those of you reading this who are doing whatever their heart desires and are going at it with full force and complete dedication, major props to you!!! Do whatever makes you happy and disregard those out there who may try to stand in your way. They are but mere speed bumps in life.

Stay focused, stay strong, and stay true to yourself.

Do what you do and don’t stop!!!

On a side note, on Sunday I got approached to return to Japan for a kind of revenge fight, so I’m debating that right now. I’m also in the process in setting up a date with tbs eFM who called me up and wants to do a radio interview with me... very cool.

QUESTION OF THE DAY...
What do you do that you absolutely love?

QUOTE OF THE DAY...
The happiness of a man in this life does not consist in the absence but in the mastery of his passions.
-- Alfred Lord Tennyson