TOO MUCH/NOT ENOUGH

too much not enough

I worked at Champs Sports during high school, when being 'too much' or 'not enough' was a thing. When we, as young people, tested learned ideas on each other. We gleefully recycled socialized fallacies about men and women. Notions that were outdated, ignorant, and cutting. Volleyball was my religion at the time. I also ran track and… Continue reading TOO MUCH/NOT ENOUGH

SITTING RINGSIDE, AN INTRODUCTION

sitting ringside

Invisible and silent armies, legions of women are kicking, punching, lifting, elbowing, grappling, and sweating their way across the mat, in the ring, or around the gym. From all backgrounds, ethnicities, and economic classes, we come from every corner of the world. We are made of fire and heavy metals—broken glass, magnetic storms, and grit.… Continue reading SITTING RINGSIDE, AN INTRODUCTION

WE ARE NOT MADE OF GLASS

we are not made of glass

Aside from the dick-pic debacle, I took on boxing to compliment my running game and yoga practice. But another reason involved a riotous 2016 where I fractured into a thousand little pieces. After a year of existing as a glistening storm of jagged and brittle fragments, I longed to put myself back together. I am made… Continue reading WE ARE NOT MADE OF GLASS

ABOUT BEING PRETTY

bicep day

**Trigger warning: narrative contains mentions of assault and harassment. I don't think about being pretty when I enter the gym. Too busy applying a peppermint oil underneath my nostrils, I'm more concerned with blocking out overlapping smells of wet towels, damp canvas, and still-moist gloves that might have three strains of fungus growing inside of… Continue reading ABOUT BEING PRETTY

REALITY CHECK AT SEVEN WEEKS

Final countdown

Reality sets in when you hit week seven. The number is an uncomfortable reminder of how rapidly the days meld into one another. By this point, you liken yourself to a feckless deer at the edge of a clearing—minding your business, looking for cover. But if you are a deer then time is a huntsman.… Continue reading REALITY CHECK AT SEVEN WEEKS