My first fight was a loss. Let’s just put that out there. However, like everything in life you can let it break you or take it as a lesson and actually learn from it. I take everything as a lesson, so after I lost, my coach and I went right back to the drawing board. We had a whole new game plan and had to execute it the very next week. Little did I know, the next fight we had lined up would end up being against the same fighter from my first fight— it was an unplanned rematch. We had trained incredibly hard, physically and mentally, all week. THE MENTAL PART OF BOXING IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART. The...
Have you ever had a dream that was so far out of reach for you that you never imagined it to be possible? Since the age of 14, I’ve dreamed of becoming an amateur fighter, but this dream felt like more of a fantasy than anything else. I often found myself thinking, “If only I had another life.” I never thought I would see this dream come to life because I knew what it takes to be a fighter. I didn’t believe in myself; I didn’t think I could do it. For years, the only thing stopping me was my mind, my excuses, my insecurities, and ultimately, myself. I was stopping myself when so many around me believed in me. ...
My first fight was on October 17, 2015. I was 13 years old. My opponent and I were scheduled to fight at 112 pounds. I was underweight but my coach and I accepted the fight. I was excited to make my amateur boxing debut. I was recovering from an injury, so I was really excited and ready to put on a show. Three days before the fight was scheduled to take place, my opponent canceled. I was exhausted and sad. To my excitement, they had another boxer for me to fight. Unfortunately, they wanted to fight at 101 pounds, meaning I had to lose weight. I had never cut weight before but was eager to fight, so we accepted. I...
Boxing has really changed my life for the better: physically, mentally, and emotionally. If I could offer one piece of advice, it's to not let anyone tell you what you can, or cannot do. I had many doubters telling me I'm too old for competitive boxing, but at 32 and being an athlete on the national team, getting a chance to represent my country and putting Singapore on the boxing map has made me prouder than any other achievement in life.
Some things come full circle. I remember after my 2nd and youngest child, Macky, was born, I was getting used to this body that wasn’t familiar to me anymore. I started running again, and I allowed my imagination to get me through the tedious work. I thought, “It would be so cool to be in a fight camp.” And I use that to push just a little faster and longer. Three years later, I was in my first fight camp. It’s true—if you can imagine it, it will come. On May 1, 2018, I made my boxing debut. My opponent had no fights either, so it made me feel a little at ease that she was going through the same...
