It’s hard to believe that my first Nationals are over. I wasn’t able to accomplish everything I wanted, but my time here has been memorable and is still hard to put into words. I am proud of my accomplishments and improvements over the past six months. I had one of my best fights yet at AAU, so being just a couple kicks away from the win has been slightly disappointing. However, it was a tough fight, and I had a lot of fun trying to rise to the challenge of a great competitor. Ashley and I didn’t have any competitors in our division to fight at USAT, but managed to find a heavyweight as eager for practice as we were and got some experience with electronic chest protectors. I will still bring back a new bronze and gold for team Trinity to add to the collection.
One of the biggest goals I had for myself when I joined the team was to get back to a healthy weight. I have lost 30lbs since January and am now fitting into clothes I haven’t worn since college. Being slimmer has helped my speed and endurance in the ring. In these last two fights at Nationals, I also was able to get in several kicks to the head on taller girls, something that we’ve worked very hard on in practice. Additionally, I feel like things have finally begun to slow down in the ring. Being mostly an endurance athlete, I have had a hard time adjusting to the frenzy of 1 or 1:30 minute rounds and getting the most out of every second. In my fights here at Nationals I felt the most control over seeing the fights unfold and the strategy behind each particular match. Finally, the hours of training and practice leading up to Nationals have taught me about focus, intensity, setting goals, and pushing towards something you decide is worth accomplishing. There will always be new fights and new goals, so I now look forward to the journey ahead.
I am thankful for all the hard work my coach and teammates have put into these last several months and am proud of everyone’s successes here at Nationals. This is an amazing group of ladies and they make spending long hours in the gym just a little easier. Thank you to everyone at Trinity who has helped us along the way, many of you encouraging us on our most tired days. We return with medals, stories, camaraderie, and even a few seashells.
It’s been a busy week here in Florida, and after Nathan’s big day tomorrow, we look forward to getting home and back to all the things we’ve been neglecting during the last few weeks of training… maybe getting a few extra hours of sleep as well. But the one thing we quickly learned about this group of ladies is that we don’t sit still for long and coach has a hard time keeping us out of the gym. We look forward to seeing all our friends back in at the gym very soon!
