Resilience and purpose
Many female boxers feel boxing has made them more resilient and given them a sense of purpose.
Boxing training is hard and competition can feel like a trial by fire - but many women said they felt more resilient because of their experience of boxing. They particularly appreciated how this made them feel outside the gym. They liked that they could carry that resilience into their everyday lives.
A lot of boxers and ex-boxers told us they found boxing at a time in their lives when they felt lost. They expressed that things were going badly for them, or they didn't have a strong sense of who they were. They said that boxing gave them an identity and a direction of travel.
Image credit: Brianna Githuka