The first time I ever entered a boxing gym, it took some nerve. As a nonbinary person who fits society’s typical idea of what an androgynous appearance is, I was bracing for the usual onslaught of invasive questioning, assumptions, and other unwelcoming and unsafe experiences. It was a good thing too, because I did eventually face those expected moments, but by then I was committed and no one was going to take this challenge away from me. My first class was a birthday present to myself and I dived right in by getting a 3 month membership. I was determined to stick with it no matter what. Now eight years later, I can hardly believe the things I’ve achieved and the positive experiences I’ve gained.

I want to share boxing with other members of the community who feel as I do; that a gender-dividing sport like boxing seems to be only for those who identify with the binary or for those who otherwise sacrifice their identities to participate or who are forced to experience the tiring ignorance of others. That’s enough of that, if I have anything to do with it! I want to show the members of the gender-nonconforming and LGBT communities what a great challenge boxing presents and what fun it can be! I want to leave any macho-bravado at the door and foster an environment that is all about feeling good, supported and welcomed!

Exercise doesn’t have to be about changing the shape, size or makeup of your body, it can simply be about feeling good, being a part of something and learning a new skill or two! We don’t have to do 100 pushups or hold a plank for 15 minutes to be fit. Sometimes a good sweat is all it takes and for some people that’s a speedy walk and for others it’s a dozen or two burpees. Whatever we can do, we should do it and not have to feel guilty about whether it was enough or not, especially compared to someone else! Maybe just getting out of bed is a challenge enough for you. No one should make you feel like a failure for that. If you can’t magically conjure up the energy needed for an exercise program like this, that’s okay. Keep on fighting your fight and we’ll keep on fighting ours! But know we are in your corner every step of the way and we hope you are in ours.

The only person you should try to be better than is who you were yesterday.

The Organizer

Short Version:

My name is Jesse. I use they/them/their as often as I feel comfortable or safe doing so and I love a sweaty workout.

Long Version:

I’ve been identifying as non-binary for many years now. A lot of self-reflection was required to getting here. As an athlete, all my life, I have felt like an intruder in the change room, on the court, on the field, in the ring, on the water, and on the team. It’s only recently that I’ve changed from feeling like an intruder to an infiltrator. It helps lift the corners of my mouth, or at least one of them and it sounds more fun!

The boxing world is very gendered and in the boxing classes I regularly participate in, I feel forced to “choose a side” and so out of habit I do. All I want to do is workout. It’s 645 in the morning and I do not have the desire to “debate” gender with anyone unwilling to open their minds. I’m sure it must be fatiguing to you as well to constantly be explaining your existence. But I love the sport of boxing. Not for the blood or bravado. I love it for its complexity wrapped in a simple concept: punch without getting punched. At first glance, it seems simple enough, but if you dig a little deeper, there’s so much more to it.

Boxing gave me the confidence to dance. This may seem silly to you, but growing up I danced only in secret and entering my early twenties I was filled with an incredible need to dance up a storm. This may have something to do with discovering my gender identity. There was a surge of energy just waiting to burst beneath my newfound skin. I went to a genderqueer dance party, but found myself incapable of summoning the courage to get on that floor. So, I sat and envied how alive and free those jumping and grooving around seemed, then I left. Defeated.

Not until I braved the journey to the boxing club did the courage ever grow enough inside of me to take on the dance floor. It was boxing that made me feel like I could do anything. Jump out of a plane, go back to school, apply for that job I’m not fully qualified for. At the next dance party, I went to the bathroom and in the mirror I gave myself a tiny pep talk. This was the day. With determination in my eyes and a big gulp, I set off to the crowd of people I previously envied. Right into the middle of the sweaty smiling party, I found myself some dancing feet. This was the beginning of a whole new world for me. I went to many, many dance parties after that and it all changed my life.

As you can see, boxing is much more than just a “hit things hard” kind of sport to me. It’s about building strength of the mind and heart; seeing that mountain in your life and starting to climb it, one step at a time. Whether that mountain is shedding the self-consciousness keeping you from dancing, or applying for a job you think you have no business applying for, but that you could definitely do if given the chance! It’s about leaving your comfort zone to learn something new and challenging yourself to be a braver more determined you. I cannot guarantee that you will get the same things out of it that I did or that you’ll develop a passion for the sport as I have, but I believe that you deserve the chance to find out.