Every now and I then I believe you need to step outside your comfort zone and really do something that pushes you to dig deep and really see what you’re capable of.
Last year Luke and I were invited to attend The Royal Queensbury Championship Ball. I must admit I didn’t know exactly what the event was other than we were supporting Toybox International, a charity that helps change the lives of sick and disadvantaged children of Perth. Luke also mentioned there would be some boxing matches… I know it doesn’t really make much sense, does it? When we stepped into the Crown Ballroom last year and I saw the boxing ring set up in the middle of the Ballroom I was instantly captivated.
As the night went on and we cheered on these fighters, just everyday people who decided to do something a little different to challenge themselves, for a range of reasons, I knew this was something I wanted to do.
Every single day we expect our boys to work hard and do things that they aren’t necessarily comfortable with. It could be something as simple as Ethan having to walk into the classroom when he is feeling overwhelmed or pushing their sensory limits in shopping centres and loud environments, all because we know for them to be able to live their lives to the fullest they need to do these things.
So, twelve months later, here I am 11 weeks into my training and getting ready to tackle the most exciting yet confronting moment of my life. I will be stepping into the ring this Friday night, 12 May to fight in a three-round boxing match against another amateur boxer, all in the name of raising awareness for Fragile X and stepping outside my comfort zone.
The past 10 weeks have taken me on an incredible journey. I train a minimum six times a week at Hurt Locker in Claremont along with the other RQCC contenders under the watchful eyes of the best coaches in Perth. As a group, we have already come so far and learnt so much, we are all so much fitter, stronger and the bond we have formed is like no other.
When I thought I would be learning to box, I assumed it would be all about learning to throw punches correctly, however there is so much more to it before you even throw a punch. You need to get your stance and balance right, transition your weight from foot to foot, rotate your hips and feet, keep your guard up to protect yourself, move around all whilst keeping your stance and balance, breathing correctly, getting use to wearing a mouth guard and head protection, preparing your body to take the hits – yes this means punching each other in the stomach, ribs and head… then of course you learn all the different punches and combinations. The hardest part is trying to remember everything when you step into the ring for sparring. Some days I feel like it all disappears and you just rely on pure instinct. Overthinking is definitely my biggest challenge to overcome.
I can’t believe Í am in my last week or training already, I am sure it is going to be intense and as the days pass by I am sure the nerves of what I am about to do will really kick in. But every time I doubt myself or struggle to get ready for training I think about my boys. They don’t have a choice but to work hard every single day… so now it’s my turn to show them that if you really put your mind to it and commit yourself – you can achieve anything!
Here is the highlights video from last year’s event just in case you still can’t quite picture what it’s all about;