Every single muscle in my body aches. If I extend my arm, I
hurt. Bend down or turning my head? Ouch. Last week I did 11
training sessions (twice a day Monday-Friday and once on Saturday)
in Soho's state-of-the-art fitness and health centre, The Third
Space (www.thethirdspace.com). My
regime has included sprinting, weights and general bodyweight
conditioning drills. It's also involved hitting pads, punchbags and
real people (until Friday, I'd never actually hit another person
with intent since I walloped George, in the playground, when I was
four).
So what on earth is this all for? Well, it started a couple of
months ago, during that not-so-understated sporting event, the
Olympics… Inspired by Nicola Adam's gold-medal-winning performance,
and equally appalled that this was the first Olympicseverto feature
women's boxing, I decided to sign up to a white-collar boxing match
at the old-skool fight venue, York Hall, in East London.
There was only one problem. The next slot available was either
in March or November. It was (then) the tail end of September.
March? Anybody could prepare for a fight in March… But
mid-November? That was a real challenge. For just under nine weeks
I'd have to eat (a lot, including gut-hating protein powder), sleep
(never enough, especially since my muscles now twitch in protest),
breathe (more like wheeze, particularly during the sprints) and
live (since there's little time for much else)'fight training'. Now
that would be a challenge. Something worth doing and, what's more,
worth writing about.
But I had other reasons too (beyond just being insane). Firstly,
I'd like to feel more confident, in general, about defending
myself. Secondly, I want to see what happens to my body (and yes, I
want a six-pack) and what I'm capable of. Thirdly, and very
importantly, I've managed to persuade ex-professional female boxer,
Cathy - 'The Bitch' - Brown to be my coach (www.cathybrown.co.uk) This,
I tell you, is no small privilege.
But there's one more reason for all this. Until I took this one
on, the biggest fight of my life has been one that's taken place
against myself. It started when I was eight years old. Sometimes
it's taken a relatively recognisable form, like depression or
addiction, and other times it's been more of a dark and
all-pervasive melancholy. But over the last few years I've had a
lot of help to overcome some of the root causes, and I feel that
now might be a good time to give a little back. So I've decided to
raise money for MIND. Of course, the irony of getting knocked in
the head in aid of a mental health charity isn't lost on me. Yet I
don't think it entirely inappropriate to marry this cause with this
challenge either. Because boxing isn't all about violence (this
much I know already): it's about fighting your demons as much as
your opponent; about harnessing fear, doubt and anxiety, turning
them into courage, determination and stillness; about learning when
to play it safe, when to take a risk and, sometimes, when to just
take your head out of the action. And, most of all, fight training
is about taking a journey and trusting you'll come out the other
side. Now if that isn't relevant to mental illness, then I don't
know what is.
Next week - more on my actual training and what I'm learning
in the ring…
Fight night is 16November 2012. To buy tickets (£25, £35
or £45), contact: lucy@lucyfry.co.uk
