The final story for this issue of League Magazine was initially going to be a piece about a local boxer, Bree Howling. I tried to reach her on various platforms (Instagram, email, Facebook), but she was unreachable. I was able to get in touch with her agent, and we even had a time to meet, but she cancelled last second. It was a shame, but I decided to step away from the professional boxer angle and look at it from a lover of boxing perspective, by talking with people that box and enjoy it recreationally.
Rebecca Garland is a friend and former boxing participant of my classes, and she was the first person that came to mind for this story. She is very eloquent and knowledgeable with her vocation that she seemed the natural choice. The interview went in a different direction though, as she shared many stories about a man she cared for before he died named Surya Dancing Buddha. She also shared personal details about her overcoming cancer. It was a heart wrenching story, but the moral and lesson from her story were enough for me to change direction and write about these moments with her.
While the piece did not end up being fully-related to boxing, it is a story on resilience and perseverance and that is important for any boxer to know.