Simplicity with Miranda
Your Healthy Choice Ambassador!

I recently held a showing of my documentary entitled the “Fight’n Me”, for a group of students at Bloor Collegiate Institute. This documentary showcases my journey to the ring for the first time. It was 7:00 in the morning; the classroom was cold, and the kids were a bit nervous when they were told that the men accompanying me were plain clothes Toronto Police Officers.

The documentary did what it was supposed to do: get kids engaged and excited to tackle a new challenge.  They saw me at my worst – crying, trying to make weight, and dealing with the fear of actually signing up for a fight.

A question and answer period followed.  Many of the students wanted to know what had happen with me and my coach, Canadian Olympic Silver Medalist Egerton Marcus, but one brave girl wanted to know:

“Am I too fat to join the boxing leadership group?”

Taken back by this 14 year old girl’s question, I couldn’t believe my ears. Was she really asking me if she was too fat to box?  Saddened by the reality of this young girl’s question, I was quick to respond “NOT AT ALL!”.

Recently, when chatting with Jill Perry, another female boxer and coach at Beaver Boxing in Ottawa, we said the best thing about boxing is that there is a category for all shapes, sizes, social and ethnic backgrounds.  We have room for everyone “Heavy Weight Champs”, a program in which Jill currently is running inspires overweight kids to hit the bag, break a sweat, and build self-esteem. This is exactly what we at MJKO have started doing here in Toronto, with our student who thought she was too fat to box.

Attending Bloor Collegiate weekly at 7:30 in the morning, before the hustle and bustle of the school day began, we got to know the shy but frank young lady who asked that brave question on day one: “am I too fat to box?”

Kristina F a 14 year old high school student from Bloor Colligate was born in the Žilina, Slovakia, a country known to like boxing.  Growing up with her grandmother and Uncle here in Toronto, she remembers the days back home when she was kicked, punched, and called names by other students.

Kristina always had a love for the sweet science of pugilism, and wanted to find ways to protect herself.  Being the victim of rape when I was 15, I knew exactly how Kristina felt, and knew boxing would not only give her the physical skills needed, but it would give her a sense of self once again. This need to defend oneself is why many boxers take up the sport.

Ibrahim Kamal, one of our MJKO trainers tells the kids about how, back in Libya when he was growing up, he too was bullied.  Now, he is proud to tell his students that he is an eight-time National Champion in Canada, has boxed in every continent, and is 3-0 as a professional.  Kamal says: “The Blueprint program run by MJKO instils essential skills for the future success of our youth, which is what every community strives to achieve for the next generation.

The Blueprint Program aims to develop and increase the three self’s;

1. Self-Confidence
2. Self-Awareness
3. Self-Esteem

Taking the Blueprint Program for the first time Kristina never dreamt that she’d one day be hitting the pads, throwing jabs and hooks.  Tired of being bullied at school and looked to boxing as a positive way to combat the negative feelings she had about herself and about her life.

Kristina is a gifted athlete. She picked up the basic boxing techniques very quickly, started running on her own initiative, and practicing her skills regularly.  Before long it looked as though Kristina had been boxing for years.

Having a love for the sport, and the opportunity to take advantage of the benefits that MJKO and boxing teaches, Kristina wanted more time to practice.  She started attending our community-based program every Saturday at the Harboufront Community Centre.  Working hard every class and being mentored by Toronto Police Officers, the volunteers, and athletes like Ibrahim, she soon became a role model whom others followed.  Other class participants looked up to her, and her confidence continued to grow. Before long, without being asked or told, she was helping others in the class with less experience to improve their techniques, and was inspiring motivation and a killer positive attitude among her peers.

Many say that sports do not have an effect on academics, but I have seen firsthand that they do.  Kristina, whose first language is not English, was so inspired by her quest for greatness, that she wrote a boxing rap and preformed it in front of our class one Saturday afternoon.  To see this for yourself visit www.facebook.com/mjkoboxing.  A picture truly does tell 1000 words.  Kristina’s smile shines bright every time you mention MJKO or boxing.

When asked what the MJKO program and boxing has meant to her this is the response we received:

“The boxing program mean[s] to me that people can go enjoy and learn how it feels to be a boxer.  People go there to try and learn how to protect themselves.  Maybe they have been bullied sometimes.  I know from my country, how it feels [to be bullied].  They punched me, hit me and called me names.  Now, I know how to box, I can try to protect myself.

People said to me, ‘[you] can’t do this, [you are] just a small kid’, but I said ‘no, it’s my choice to stand’.  I have the best trainer ever, (YOU) MJ, you helped me a lot.

People from my country, when they saw that video on YouTube, they said: ‘You’re the best!  Can I be your friend?’.  I

got inspired from my brother too!  He told me that boxing is not good for girls in my family.  When I came for my first class and saw MJ, the police officers, I was like, okay, I am going try boxing and be [the] best.

I was looking at you for the first time, and I was thinking: she is a boxer, she is a superstar, she is an actor too! I am not going to ask her, I am scared.   That’s what was thinking, I know it sounds crazy but it’s true.

I didn’t speak English so I said: ‘Wow, okay, I will box’.  I was so excited, I was [such a] fat girl, I didn’t even know how to do a push-up but I started going to class two times a week and I was better and better in push-ups and sit-ups.  Also, I got best trainer, who helped me and took care of everything. “

Kristina thinks she worked with the best trainer ever, but really the community was able to work with a great kid, a leader, an inspiration, and a friend.   Programs like the MJKO Blueprint program really strive to nurture the seeds of the community.  We provide a little sunlight, letting the kids grow.  We build up the confidence they were born with, but that life’s hardships have washed away.

It’s not about winning, losing or finding a world champion.  We are looking for Community Champions just like Kristina.

To learn more about our charity or to donate visit www.mjko.ca

Train, prepare, and believe!