My favourite moment from today was watching Eve of Destruction doing padwork in the ring with her coach, Coach Adrian. There she was, whaling away at the padwork, throwing her 1-2s, right hooks, left hooks, weaving and moving around with her coach. And there was Coach Adrian, throwing the pads up for her to hit, working up a sweat as he bounced around the ring, giving her constant combos and punches to throw. The crowd watched with admiration for Coach Adrian's focus on his fighter and respect for Eve's endurance and skills.
It was unknown as to when they'd stop. They clearly had gone past the expected two minute round mark.
They just kept on going and going... and going.
Finally someone hit the bell and they stopped. The crowd cheered. Coach Adrian walked out of the ring glistening with sweat but Eve seemed unfazed, as if she hadn't even warmed up in that totally elongated, extended round.
Eve just turned ten. I joked with her being in the double digit crew now but was impressed at just how much skill and love for boxing this little one brought to the ring today. Originally she was scheduled to fight. She was suppose to have a rematch with an opponent she had previously lost to but today her opponent woke up sick as a dog. "Sick from the intimidation", I joked.
Watching Eve and Coach Adrian do padwork in the ring was my favourite moment from today because it served to remind me of my former boxing club in Korea's motto -- "Like the first time". Eve had brought such a fresh love for boxing to the Hershey Centre today and you could sense it when she stepped into the ring and with how her mom talked about her being so disappointed her fight had been canceled today.
Sometimes I struggle with keeping my passion and dedicated to training alive and thriving. I train six days a week, twice a day, so it's easy to feel run down and unmotivated to train. These days I find my struggle has been all that harder and more intense with Coach Perez not training me and me unsure of what the future holds for me with regards to my boxing, my career and my club in Korea. I'm trying though because the struggle is real.
Like the first time, fresh and so exciting, like Eve.
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