At my boxing class last weekend, I noticed a woman doing a trial class. I could tell she was new because she had an undeniable look of regret and panic on her face from start to finish. I remembered that same pained expression from my first class just a handful of months ago.
I also thought to myself, “Oh, she’s never coming back.”
I have become pretty good at detecting the boxing “one and done”ers, at least on the women’s side. The petite, bouncy girly girls with the cute sports bra tops, matching shorts, and headbands don’t stick around. Think Charlotte from Sex and the City or Emily from, um, Paris. Not only do fashionable accessories and boxing not mix (and, wait, is that makeup??), but these women generally (stereotypically) have a body type that just doesn’t seem well-suited for the particular brand of physicality required for the sport.
It made me think of a picture I saw on Facebook by Howard Schatz in his 2002 book, Athlete, which resurfaced around the 2024 Olympics and showcases the incredible diversity of female bodies at the peak of their performance.
It freaking blew my mind.
It struck me that not only do Olympians spend years (decades!) honing their skills and strategies for their event, but their body types are well-suited for their particular sport. I don't just mean that taller folks have an advantage in basketball; I mean the person's shape, proportions, and musculature are uniquely well-matched for the precise nuanced brand of athleticism required to compete at an elite level in their specific event.
This earth-moving insight may have already been super obvious to everyone else, but there was something about seeing the athletes lined up next to each other instead of with their similarly-shaped teammates that really brought the differences into stark contrast for me.
As I was working on my jab-slip-hook combos in class completely headbandless wearing an old t-shirt with non-matching leggings and definitely no makeup, I had an a-ha…
Maybe I’ve just been trying to play the wrong sport all of these years?
Could you imagine Simone Biles as a basketball player?
Ilona Maher as a long-distance runner?
Gabby Thomas as a wrestler?
No, because that’s not what their bodies are uniquely built for.
While it’s true that I don’t seem to have been designed to excel in diving or hurdles, what if the bigger tragedy is that I could have been a champion weightlifter or shotputter?
Rather than feel frustrated and discouraged that I can’t convince my body to do something it doesn’t seem to be naturally suited for (like speed rock climbing or pole vaulting) or aspiring to achieve some impossible physical aesthetic (I’m looking at you, beach volleyball players), what might have been possible if I had understood and appreciated as a kid that my broad shoulders, strong thighs, and wide hips were assets for boxing, rugby, or hammer throw?
Although it’s true that those events don’t get as much media coverage or as many sponsorship deals as women’s gymnastics, track, or swimming, those athletes still earn the exact same medals for being at the top of their respective games.
And, even though I’m talking about sports here, it’s not such a long jump (see what I did there?) to understand how maximizing one’s unique gifts and strengths rather than lamenting about not conforming to society’s limited and conventional standards of success, beauty, or fill-in-the-blank might be a much better use of time and energy.
For the record, I’m not looking to take my boxing to an elite level (I’m very content with my fiercest opponent being the heavy punching bag instead of an actual person at the moment), but I am grateful that this picture pushed me to consider that accepting, embracing, and celebrating what my body is naturally built for is #winning.
If you (or someone you know) could benefit from working with a certified coach focused on personal and professional growth and a trained facilitator who will provide customized, holistic, and tireless support as you or your team identify and take action toward your goals, please reach out to One Eleven Leadership to set up a complimentary consultation.
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