AIR DATE:
EPISODE: Episode 5
Viviana Ruiz
Silver Medalist at Olympic Qualifiers
Gold Medalist at BOXAM
She is 3X Australian Champion
Silver Medalist at Common Wealth Games
Originally from Bogota, Colombia she made the decision to move half away across the world, in the middle of her engineer career back in Colombia, to explore where her life would take her in Australia and what opportunities would arise.
There is where she found and began her journey in boxing and ended her successful amateur career with over 60 bouts in the short time of six years to pursue her ultimate goal – the PROS!
She is coming off an amazing first pro debut ending it with a stoppage!!
#TeamAustralia #FemaleBoxer #WomenBoxing #WomenSupportingWomen #FemaleFighter #FemaleAthlete #WorldChampion
Transcribed:
Hello, everybody and welcome to our next episode of the female fist.
I have a guest with us today, that’s very far away, but has had some very notable accomplishments that i’ve been watching her for a long time and i’m super super impressed with her she’s.
Definitely somebody they take a lot of admiration from she won silver at the olympic qualifiers, this past olympic qualifiers.
She has also won the australian championship three times.
She also won silver at the commonwealth games and she just won her first pro debut boxing bout.
Please welcome from australia, viviana ruiz.
How are you doing diana hi yeah, very good scott, like super happy to have the time for us to have a chat and um just talk to some um, also well-known boxer from canada.
That’S very exciting! That’S very exciting! Women’S are taking over boxing and you need to keep helping each other and keep growing together.
Yeah.
I’M really excited for our conversation, because i think that we have a lot of things in common and i think we have a lot of really interesting and dynamic topics to cover.
So we were just talking about this before we went, live you’re from colombia, correct yeah.
I’M from yeah, not too far from me, like we were just saying right.
My dad in ecuador, he’s from uh rocco fuerte in portoviejo, okay, yeah i’ve never been in ecuador.
Um like it’s weird.
When you um live in south america or in your own country, you don’t really travel like.
I just started traveling when i came to australia and i went to south america for a south american trip.
Like that’s weird, like you always have to make trouble.
I know it’s funny how, like you get so comfortable like in your surroundings, and you don’t actually like you always think everywhere else is so cool and you don’t bother like looking around.
Oh, it’s like yeah, i know and the other thing you’re in australia, though.
Yes correct so what is so far australia and like how come like, for example, not the united states or canada or somewhere else? Why australia, particularly um? So when i start sort of thinking about moving from colombia, um america is almost impossible because we colombians – and that’s that’s a fact, obviously that everyone knows that and we have the label on us and it’s fair enough.
Um of all the drug problems and things like that um, so it’s really hard like for you to get a even a visa to visit america.
It’S a miracle like i did apply once and i didn’t get it.
I got rejected and now i’ve had a i’m a telecommunications engineer.
Um i got a diploma degree in network security that i had back home that i had it still obviously yeah um back home yeah, i studied for like seven years, um yeah and then america was definitely not an option.
That’S impossible, um, canada.
The thing was that it was expensive like if you uh do the comparison with uh, australia, australia, but then needed a lot of people to migrate here.
So they were giving you more options, more facilities, more um opportunities for you to travel, so that was a boom back then, like i know that they were doing a lot of advertising.
A lot of people were talking, and i just say: okay, why not? Australia? I actually think i remember that, because i was considering going there for school and i knew it was easier being a canadian to do that.
But then i was hearing from my friends that, like they were considering just trying to go there because they were having a hard time getting a permanent resident here in canada, even though they were here on a visa so yeah.
I remember something about that.
That was the thing yeah the permanent residency, because, yes, you can get a visa in canada, but it’s really hard to get a residency in australia.
You actually you plan.
When you started moving, it’s that you, you can get your residency.
There is a process so from you from the beginning.
They already tells you well, okay, you need to study here for this many years.
You’Re gon na have this much money.
It takes you three to four years to apply, so there is a path for you to become a residency, a resident or a citizen.
So it’s way easier right, okay, so so you made your way to australia.
Obviously – and you were not boxing back in colombia – you started in australia.
So that’s interesting because of course it’s very common la latins.
They love fighting where you know you look at some of the top-ranked boxers majority of them, like a lot of them, are latin american.
So how come like, if that wasn’t something back in colombia like? Why did you start that in australia, how did that come into like a whole? You know yeah so well.
First, i want to um give you a little bit of um thing i like just when i came to australia.
I didn’t speak english at all, like i just jump on the plane, see what happens.
Let’S see what happens that that’s me see, like i mean nobody know, many people will leave the country like um.
I had a very good job back then i’m an engineer so, and the only way for you to have a good um quality of life in colombia is having a degree as a doctor, engineer, sort of thing like high level, um yeah education right where you can Get a good position in a company and then yeah progress.
So finally, because my mom worked really hard and she she did so much for me that she gave me the opportunity to study um.
I got that chance, but as soon as you get money, the next step that everyone wants you to do is like i’ll get married, buy a house have a kid like that’s and i’m i’m like, not that that’s not my world.
So i was like i need to move.
I need to do something and i just didn’t even speak english.
I was like okay, we’ll go to australia and see what happens.
So.
That’S amazing, the language.
Oh my god.
It was crazy because imagine the whole flight.
Everything is in english, um, not many south americans go there, so it was just very funny.
Everything was like writing and my phone didn’t have internet because back then it was that was 11 years ago.
Yeah um so, and we didn’t have that if the data plan was there now yeah, it was on the phone and the coins he used to come on my mom, i’m in at the airport, blah blah but um yeah.
When i came here, it was super funny funny and hard, because somebody was not even speaking english and like did you have like kind of so when you picked like your city like where you were gon na come to like did you have like an idea of What you even wanted to do at that time, or was it just one of those like i’m gon na, go there i’m gon na kind of scope out what’s going on and then i’m to kind of pick like that or like how did that work? For you? It was just like that exactly so.
The first thing was like okay.
I need to study english, obviously, so that was how i started so i came here.
Pay for a six months course english course um, but i didn’t find um.
So i didn’t buy a richmond flight.
I was like wow, let’s see, i don’t know i don’t i don’t know my mom said: why didn’t you buy a return flyer? I was like because he could go very well or could go very wrong and then i don’t want to come back yeah.
I don’t know i just like and we had a huge family back home.
So i i still think why did i do that anyway? But i’m just like i just like take risk, i’m i’m that person um so yeah.
I came here.
I studied english six months and straight away fall in love like obviously the difference of quality of life between colombia and australia is huge.
So when i saw that i could have this beautiful opportunity to even if we stay here for a few years, make money go back home and live a better life.
That’S what i i wanted.
So it’s all about my family and things like that.
So i just say: look after the six months i fall in love and i was like i’ll do anything to stay here.
So that’s how i started and then boxing came in my life because um.
So when you don’t speak a language, you don’t have many friends and then you start losing your identity and um.
When you back home, you can talk to your cousin, your friends and yeah, because you must be feeling that, regardless, even if you’re like yeah, i want to take this opportunity, but of course, your family you’re, so far from them.
Of course, you miss them.
You can’t go and come back yeah, so expensive, hello, well, yeah, yes, 24 hours, a little bit more so far, um so um.
One day i was feeling very down, like you know, just thought.
Why did i do this? Even though i was doing okay you’re like but i should, i could be better about how like i could have my um engineer job no, oh because i was washing dishes, so it was a lot of works that i’ve done here.
Um all what you have to do, um and then i was walking by the street and i saw fighting it – was called fighting.
I was like okay yeah, that’s it and um have a first session, and i was lucky that i partnered up with a boxer, and i can’t remember her name because she stopped boxing back then um and she hold parts for me and she’s, like oh you’re, really Good, how long you’ve been doing this? I was like never first session and straight away.
They say: look, you got a lot of anger, that’s the main thing i’m like that, and they just asked me: do you want to start and then that’s how we started.
I started with a copper fight, um, it’s funny.
It’S on internet, i’m so embarrassed.
You watch it i’ll put the link in the video after here’s the fight, [ Laughter ].
Oh my god, i was like wearing a guy’s socks.
I’M sorry shorts yeah, so they so long.
I was wearing these sneakers.
It’S hilarious, like you laugh.
I look at that video i’m like because i feel like um back in the days there there were not many females um boxing.
So it’s really hard to find a coach that takes you serious.
That’S the big thing, like all the guys, i think guys get the good process of like good training.
Proper diet runs and pad work.
You know what we now we do like.
I know that when i see a girl that wants to fight, i like taking her with me, i’m a coach as well at the moment um.
I take her with me and say: okay, we’re gon na train.
Her we’re gon na be feeling we’re gon na have a good technique, because i don’t want them to do what i do.
You want to give them periods, i know so because back in the day, nobody takes you serious nobody.
I guess you went through that too.
I imagine um, like my dad, was my coach and he was he’s a really decorated coach in canada, so i don’t think it was that they didn’t take me seriously.
I think that they were just kind of nervous to say anything that makes sense, but obviously i i do know what you’re talking about, because still the pool of girls themselves, like i fought like two girls five times each.
You know i i get it there’s not very many girls periods, yeah, there’s a lot more now yeah, but i did went through that.
Where i mean women you’re not gon na do anything.
I mean they know they don’t take you where you actually yeah.
Unless you look like mean – or you have like tattoos and you’re like you know, then they’re like oh, but if you have like a pretty face or if you walk in there with like a really nice attitude, they’re like i just you know, i used to get It all the time.
Why do you want to ruin your pretty face like? What do you mean yeah, that’s exactly what you’re talking about.
I think that we have to prove so much, but that’s okay.
I mean, let’s be honest.
It it was like life.
Always uh is changing yes and luckily we’re making that change.
I don’t i don’t blame men for it.
I don’t do it because we put ourselves there like back in the days, our moms or whatever they put themselves there where you’re at home, and you have kids and that’s that’s your life.
You know what i mean yep and then a few women started like coming out and working harder and a few boxes started showing off that we can box and and now we’re taking that as well and we’re making it bigger.
And that’s why we have a full evolution going on right now for women in sports.
It’S phenomenal yeah, crazy, it’s so cool! I just i’m so excited to see many female boxes, so many fights even myself here, um! Well, not at the moment.
It’S been really hard to find opponents, but um yeah.
A lot of women are coming through and everyone wants to books and that’s that’s nice and i like that.
They look at us as like christy harris, as you mentioned, um sky, nicoles or olympians like, and they all know their names, katie taylor and, like it’s so good that they looking up there and it’s just like.
I want to be that person yeah.
So it is.
We we we’re making a statement right now, and i think it’s good that, like you know, because way, back in the day, the woman that were in sports, the only ones that would get recognition were the ones that would really – and i say this with a lot Of caution, but they really sexualize themselves or they weren’t.
Actually, in a real sport, they were just you know they put on like some sexy kind of fitness outfit or something like that, and the idea of like strong, empowered women was in a different kind of perspective.
But now that you have athletes, like you mentioned, uh katie taylor, clarissa shields, ronda rousey, who really made a big revolution for women in mma like women like her that obviously don’t fit the stereotype.
It’S like now they’re, seeing that these women doesn’t matter what they look like as beautiful or like whatever.
Their idea of beauty is if a woman, from every background, from every culture from every country they’re coming in there and they’re beautiful and they can actually fight there or they’re, actually really athletic.
And now you have them featuring on the front of ringside magazine or you have them on the front of all these, like magazines that were usually well well, even right.
Now, it’s you have women on ufc bouts and boxing bouts and they’re, not on separate channels.
You have them on the same card, so it’s like slowly getting there.
Obviously, the ratio is still different, but more women are a lot more comfortable coming into these sports and like yeah yeah, i could do it what’s the problem and now people don’t be afraid of women coming in, but now people would think twice about saying you shouldn’t Be there because now we all are really coming together in this, which is an astonishing thing, which is why, like so you got into boxing, as you mentioned to me earlier, a little bit later, as you would think than most other people like.
How do you? So? What was that like for you? Well, that’s an that’s another, hard step there because um, obviously i don’t know managers promoters, coaches, like with men.
They want to grab a small young person, no smoke, sorry a young person and take them to.
I don’t know olympics come on with games, world champions and um i mean when, as soon as i say, my age, oh, my god, the doors are like boom straight away.
Kills me.
It kills me because i got ta do so much more – that some girl that is 22 to 27.
That’S the door’s like wide open.
Like you know what i mean and um i started late yeah.
I get that, but it’s not my fault, that my life started.
That way, because, unfortunately, my boxing world started that age, i couldn’t do it before back home in colombia, they are boxes and they have been professional boxes, but no females, there’s a few women and again, as i said, for you to have a good quality of life.
You have to be a yeah, a lawyer engineer have a degree like you have to have that.
There’S no like here literally, you can be a world champion or a boxer or whatever you want working in a coffee shop right like literally that’s how good the economy is in australia and that’s the difference that it makes so back home.
I could have never thought of doing what i’m doing, because i didn’t have the money and obviously my my family didn’t have it and the economy doesn’t allow it like.
I know that our um athletes back home, that they can’t do it.
They have to stop boxing.
They have to stop.
I don’t know running that the dreams on the sport they shut down.
Just because you can’t do it, you don’t have the support of comments, sponsors or yeah.
It’S not possible here.
When i moved here and i had my residency, i became a citizen things changed.
I was like.
I can actually work in a cafe, which is what happened.
I work in a bank and things like that, but then, when i decided i was like you know what i keep working part-time and part-time boxing and then you step up with girls like christy.
Oh, that’s because i know you know her, but the other amazing girls in um on the 51 kilo division.
They were full 10 boxes and you can never take their support if you don’t become a full-time boxer, yeah um.
So that’s when i quit my um bank job and i started just working at a gym.
It didn’t matter like you can work in a cafe easy, get good money and then you can actually train um.
So yes, again as soon as i say my age, so i had to start like just fight.
That’S what happened to me for everyone like seriously so quick, i mean six years and i had over six like around 60 fights um.
I just went right but again lots of doors closed.
For me.
I didn’t get decisions because of politics and the age which i guess is everywhere.
I guess you’ve been told yeah like i could say that.
I think that boxing is one of the most political yeah.
I know i can feel i can feel your headache, because i’ve been for my commonwealth qualifiers um.
I won against christie, then adriana’s made, which was another number one girl she’s she’s, the most that i always been in the ring that i was the most scared of.
What’S her adriana’s me she’s, not boxing at the moment, but she did it for like 10 years and things like that scary power.
Every time i was like every time i jump in the ring with her.
I was like.
Oh here we go [, Laughter, ] and then taylor robinson, but she was the upcoming young girl um, the youth champ she’s been overseas.
They were like building her up and they took that decision.
For me that day i had four fights one against the best, even with her, and then they pick her.
I was like that one hurt yeah, it hurts it hurts so much.
I feel free and then you start thinking.
Okay, i’m this age.
I think i was 35 thing already thirty-four that they find you like.
Why am i doing this? I’M never gon na be selected um.
They always gon na pick over you, you should stop.
You know you hear the style like.
Should i start thinking about getting married.
This the clock starts ticking, that’s us uh, unfortunately, as females.
We have that, and it’s nobody’s fault i mean it is what it is.
We feel.
What can we do, but it is the truth of america, the clocks that ticking so you have.
You have to stop thinking about those things and i’m stubborn, and i was like no no, but it is hard to get back into the ring um i couldn’t even get to the gym for like uh.
I think that four weeks i really couldn’t put myself together and get back at it, you’re really you were there like.
You.
Were there you’re really at that line? Yeah, because i won, i want clear stay and i trained so hard.
It wasn’t fair.
I was the winner and it was really broke, my heart, that was that broke my heart.
But then what did you do then? Four weeks you stopped thinking and let’s try again and that’s when i won uh for the women world championships and i went to the worlds in india.
It was amazing, 2018 um, another great experience that was crazy, yeah um.
I got the opportunity to spy with maricon like like she went to the olympics like she was she in the finals with um for 51.
She was in the finals with uh, nicole adams in 2012.
Yes, that one yeah can can, can ken sorry no again.
No, but i got the opportunity to spy against her too um.
The russian team is tough as well.
Yeah like that was one of the most amazing experiences.
I met um sandy ryan’s that i’m a huge fan she’s an amazing boxer like this skills that she has wow.
I always said my like she’s young.
I think i don’t know i think she’s 24 yeah, so it’s really cool to be in that position.
Where you’re meeting these other athletes that like, like you know it’s funny, you know how people look up to these like celebrities, like all these, like, i don’t know, justin bieber, katy perry.
What whatever and for us like in this world, we’re like wow.
Look at that athlete like they’re, so so inspiring.
You know worst married mom and i was like oh my god i froze in the ring.
I was like you are this because you doubt i mean my oh that’s what i was going to tell you.
So i won gold in um, spain, tournament, which oh damn that was so that must have been just yet.
You know why, because it’s a long story anyway, i won the world’s qualifiers and the australian team was not going to take me because they didn’t expect me to win um exactly so i had to pay for my own weight there.
I did everything we’re like okay i’ll, do it i’ll just take me just i deserve to be part of that team and i’m going to the world championships.
You got ta.
Take me anyway, it’s more so much horrible things happen, but anyway i paid my own way.
Got there, obviously a few people didn’t like me there, because i just made it um and then i went and got one gold medal when i compete against german, germany, russia and france, the number one today and then one goal of that.
I bet they really got upset when you won gold.
Well, they were trying to like say that they were not the number ones which i did search.
Why would they even say that, like that’s so unnecessary, it’s like at the end of the day like okay, so how many people that went to the country? I mean i’m, not that’s what i mean i mean i know.
Oh, it hurts it’s so like other people that went how many came home with gold, excluding yourself.
Oh it’s just me.
Well then, like that’s one of those moments too, it’s like.
Why does it even matter like you didn’t even meddle with people who probably weren’t number one in their country either? If you want to say that, like whatever, whatever you just let it be, i don’t care i was like.
I won gold – i you can say whatever you want yeah.
I love this and and yeah and then at the women world championships.
I, how unfortunate is this? I’Ve had the 43 boxes at the 51 kilo division from all over the world and um.
My first opponent was the colombian girl, [ Laughter ].
We were like how is this possible? We were like you like chat before the fighter.
Now a little bit um no no much chance to chat, but i was very nervous to be honest because um she’s, a bronze she’s, an olympian.
What’S her name, um, valencia um, i will go ahead.
First! Name! Um! Oh! I know! Valencia forgot! Sorry! That’S! Okay! I know her last name, but i haven’t followed him for a while.
I thought that, like maybe i might like just recognize, but i don’t know why is valencia so one bros bronze medal at the 2012 olympics so the first time that the women went on in the olympics, so that was very and she’s been now i don’t know 15, 20 years on the sport, it was a little bit, it was intimidating, but it was a good fight.
I was so happy like first um.
First, big big tournament was that one um, but then i compete for the olympic qualifiers and i said, look if i don’t make it yeah, that’s it.
I’M just gon na go pro and that’s what happened.
I had a great fight with christy yeah um.
She always bring war she’s so cool.
I love her yeah she’s, a great girl.
I i don’t um i admire when athletes put the work.
Yes like i that you should respect that.
You know i’ve seen other countries and my coaching myself.
We were talking about how how talented all the con female athletes are in other countries, but the reason for that is because, whoever is on the mains, if you number eight the number one um, there’s always a number b, a number c behind one to take the Sport yeah so the coaches, what they i don’t know if that’s the case in canada, but the coaches actually what they do they just um.
If you lose a tournament or a five you down straight away, you go down to b or c.
So the a the b has the chance to be up and so forth.
So there’s three athletes all the time on competing.
They won that sport yeah um, so it keeps you on your toes.
Unfortunately, australia doesn’t do that.
So you a and that’s it yeah.
They used to have that system with the ab teams here.
So when i first started my first two years, i didn’t go to a nationals because i was just gaining experience, but they used to have.
If you won silver at nationals, then you could go to this tournament called the box-offs and then that’s what you would be selected for team canada b, which would be as you explained, you know.
If something happened to the number one, then you would replace them into whatever tournament or whatever, but now they don’t have that.
So now it’s like what you’re saying um like ever since i’ve been going to nationals i’ve been to like three nationals and they don’t have a box off anymore.
Now it’s just you make it or you don’t and if something happens then they you know pick whoever like.
I guess it would be.
The silver medalist like they’d ask them like do you.
I don’t know something like that, but that’s why countries like um um china, korea, like they, do have that and that’s why, when you see the tournaments, they have medals on all weight divisions, yeah rush with everything because of it.
Um england has that i think i’m not sure i’m not sure but um.
That’S.
Why, like you know it’s fair, because that’s what i noticed that i’ve been trying.
I was threatening so hard and you can see all that athletes not training the same way.
You are yes like i was killing myself and then the other ones.
A few of them was like, oh not doing it, and it’s like because you’re the a so you don’t care yeah and, like you know what there’s a state, for example.
Christie is one of the ones like she just drinks like a machine.
She does.
I watch her videos and she’s just non-stop even when she i think she like broke her leg or her knee.
I don’t want to quote them.
Yeah, like yeah and she’s, like still working out, i’m like kudos to her because there’s a saying: that’s the wolf climbing the hill is always hungrier than the wolf, that’s on top of the hill.
So what you’re saying like i absolutely agree with it, and you can see that with those countries like that, but they don’t copy that so anyway, but that got me yeah, i said, look olympics.
If that doesn’t happen.
I’M gon na turn pro um because, obviously because of my age, i actually don’t have anywhere else to go in amateurs.
That’S it because i think it’s 30.
I know it changed.
I think it’s 40 now full up yeah like you, can go to the olympics up until you’re 40.
.
Okay yeah, i don’t know yeah, there is an age and i’m like.
If i don’t go to the olympics, that’s it.
I don’t want to come on with games and worlds and stuff that olympics is the dream i guess for all day, but like world championships commonwealth games like and you’re, not you didn’t just go like you meddled in the finals in these tournaments and one goal worldwide.
Didn’T no, no! No in the worlds i um and the first one i i i fought against the colombian yeah and i lost the game’s hair and that’s you out yeah yeah.
No, no! No! But yeah! I only had the chance for the women world championships and i lost on the first round, but like look, it was my first tournament, so i just started.
What can you like you just i’m just proud of these achievements.
I mean yeah.
It was a good time and with a home coach like i mean, there’s no support from teams and staff, it’s just home coach, it’s a big one and then i said: look i just turned uh pro and then the pandemic happened.
I know i know i know.
That’S not a big deal.
I don’t complain about that because that’s silly it’s the worst thing that happened to people that i’m like that.
So i was my pro debut was uh march last year: 2020, 2019, no 2020, sorry um and then the pandemic happened and um yeah.
So i didn’t fight a team for 18 months.
I was about to say so.
It’S been a whole year like i didn’t even know that you were going to go pro last year, yeah i did so after the olympic qualifiers were in november um.
So straight away.
I said okay we’re turning pro um and then it happened and yeah about 18 months until this fight last 21st of april have had my proto view so la so blessed to had it with the such a big event like no limit car with the pole, gallon And lucas brown on the car it was so good.
I saw the pictures and everything – and i was like – oh my god that is happening amazing and i love the stoppage too.
Like i watched them, i was like damn and your face when you were going like.
I don’t think hey, i’m like.
Oh, my god, i got anger issues yeah like you look like like, like she took your lunch money or something like you looked angry like she was saying things to you in the ring or something you were just like.
Oh and then the i think the rest of me was like okay hold on hold on and then you know, [ Laughter, ], she’s, gon na kill her no, i mean and and she um we we’re not close friends, but we know each other from the amateurs She’S uh accomplished boxer here as well.
I think she had over 35 she’s been to nationals she’s been longer in the sport than me and um um.
I just messaged her one day because you can’t find opponents.
I mean i was on that gray area that you to experience as an amateur and then you dangerous, like it’s a fact like you can go for higher people.
They will not take a ufi because you don’t have anything literally.
I don’t have a belt to offer which i’m understanding now how it works.
So you can there’s some um national champ national champs here with titles and stuff on my way, divisions, but i don’t have anything to offer.
So that’s why i haven’t like call out or anything because it’s like i don’t have things yet right.
So it’s not.
I don’t think it’s fair or i don’t know if they will take it, where you’re taking boxing and mixing it in with that media, where you’re mixing it with the entertainment.
That’S i get what you’re saying huge change, there’s a huge thing that i’m i’m putting trying to put my hair there, because that’s what everyone is doing like you, you’re gon na do it.
But my goal, my goal as a professional boxer and as a female boxer, is to put the social media where it should be, which is hard work, good, vibes, good promotion like i want people to see us as an athlete yeah.
I know we pretty and things like that and but i just feel like i mean i don’t look ugly when i’m wearing my um.
I don’t feel like i’m ugly when i’m wearing my boxing gear, no of course right like yeah, my sometimes i lose t-shirt.
I feel like i’m still look beautiful the same way.
I look beautiful when i i don’t like makeup too much, so i’m just normally slipstick and yeah, so i want to be the person that just shows how i work, which i think i’m doing quite okay.
On my social media um, so that i wan na – and i love that i inspired a lot of women – i can get messages from them like thank you because they know my age now so they’re like.
Oh, my god.
I want to start boxing um.
So it’s it’s a it’s a nice feeling to be honest and accomplish boxes such as sky christie, case code, um and the mma fighter and lin blanco as well that they shared when i was gon na compete and when i won – and i got the compliments from Well-Known coaches in australia as well saying your performance was what he is like.
What is um the highlight of the fight, the performance? So out? That’S what was my focus, you know what i mean because you can swing with eight ounce gloves you can swing and you can try.
You know because they’re literally you pretty much care almost yeah um, but that way i didn’t want to beat that person.
I didn’t want to be the ones that lucky from 20 shorts, one london, you know what me yeah.
So it was more a performance and i was looking for that opportunity and when i saw it – and i saw her eyes and her hands goes – oh man that was it, and i know that baby the referee said.
Stop.
I hurt him, but i was like no.
I’M not stopping until, like you know what it takes you apart, it’s a street fight until somebody takes you by the hair.
Stop it love me great experience.
To be honest, absolutely – and it’s also really important too, that when you mention that women are reaching out to you, saying like thank you and not just because of your accomplishments, but also because people don’t think that women who are getting up in the numbers that, like Oh, why are they still competing like? Why don’t they want to focus on having a baby right now or something like that? They think that, like you know, once you reach a certain age, then it becomes like even dangerous for your fertility, but i think that people have like a really bad misconception about that, because women tend to actually peak in their athleticism later on, whereas men have an Earlier peak with their athleticism, that’s why men usually start earlier in their sport.
For a woman like i find myself, oh my god, like i’ve, been competing in sports since i was 15 years old, but like the athlete i was when i was 15 16.
17.
18.
All the way to like 22.
like right now, i i would beat the crap out of my 20 year old self, whereas usually from men.
It would be the opposite way because, when they’re younger they’re, so much more, like you know what i mean, but i feel like i would totally beat myself up 20 like when i was.
You know that that’s very true, like i think um it gets to some certain age that no, no you just not train harder, but smarter, smarter.
Thank you.
Thanks, uh um, we didn’t know like recovery uh.
Why? Why do you run? Why do you run this many case? Why do you do strength? Like um, i wrote it on my post on instagram that i know i had two weaknesses as an amateur which i wanted to change, which was my strength and my diet, because obviously the diet i was doing on my own, as i said so, a lot of Vegetables, a lot of vegetables and small and salads.
That’S it like um on cars only when, after the five things like that, not enough hydration, um and now i do always look weak, so i was so happy the way i look on the way in because i was surprised even with myself, i was like wow.
I can’t believe i had that body, i’m like yeah, i was like yeah girl.
I was so proud because – and i also so i did my diet with the five dietitian um and they really changed my game because i i didn’t know i was you, don’t need enough.
Like you, my portions now are like what i didn’t know.
I could eat that much and lose weight.
It’S like that was one and the second one was my strength.
I used to do my own strain as well so wrong, because what you do is squats push ups, slam, balls and putter ropes, but you just do it.
Yeah, you know what there’s never a purpose for it: um so yeah.
I work really hard on those 16 months on those two and the results are there, so it’s cool absolutely and what a difference it makes like.
I think that athletes well, you know, because i mentioned my dad – he used to coach me he’s been in the industry for over 20 years, and i would get into these arguments with him because i’d say no dad.
I need to eat this and he’d be like no scar and i’m like, but you’re thinking like how what you used to eat as a man when you were 20, like my body’s different, i’m not a 20 year old male, you know, or even like he wanted To go running for hours and i’m like no dad, you know he’s like back in my days and i’m like yeah.
That’S why you’re falling apart now.
I know what that means.
Boxers are like breaking, and i mean you know it’s not to say that they weren’t absolutely amazing legends, but what we know now we can prevent those things.
You know exactly injuries and things like that, especially with us females.
We had a lot of problems with with our hormones and that’s why men can actually play a little bit more with their food, but we have we can we actually be eating so different, yeah yeah, the iron.
We burn the b12.
That’S way, you know our monthly gifts and stuff, and even that alone, like oh, i got out.
I got that like two days before my fight, it was just isn’t that the worst like and then everybody’s, like you, were just on weight the other day.
It’S like yeah, but like [ Laughter ], i was not at every tournament yeah.
Oh, my god enough you, even if you oh, when it happens that it’s just you just have to deal with it.
I wish men understand the way we feel you feel more.
It’S more emotions yeah! Well like right now.
My current coach uh cindy vanderpool, so he’s got uh myself he’s got mandy boujold and our current 64 kilogram uh canadian champion caitlyn clark and um he’s also got mackenzie wright.
So all of us girls and we’re just like isolated team, because we’re all helping mandy get to uh her olympics like we’re here right.
So it’s just us in the gym and we’re like the amount of tears that this man is gon na have to deal with.
My coach has the same problem because um he he used to coach the women’s team um and then it was exactly the same he got used to it to like.
Sometimes you spy and you get out, and you did amazing and then tears started, crying everything hurt and he’s like what happened? Did you guys? I know you just cry over here in the back and then just like crying yeah and that way and he’s like yeah.
Okay, yeah, you cry, you go leave me alone, because guys they’ll just like go hit something or they’re like you know they get out of the rain they go like ah, and then they leave or something you know, we’re crying we’re just different.
So funny a little bit yeah, that’s what we might well, you know what, like i absolutely loved having this chat with you and i love getting to know you more.
This is so cool, because here you are this decorated boxer, just on the other side of the world and we’re like from the same.
You know we come from the same background.
You know we’re the same weight class and a lot of stories that you’re telling me like.
You know, there’s so many stories that i think of that just relate with you and it’s so funny and we’re just on two sides of the world.
You know, i think, that’s so cool it is nice.
I love sharing these kind of experiences because when i started there was nowhere to look, you know what i mean there’s no way and then, when you look at the girls that were up there, they never shared anything.
They always everything was perfect and everything was paid and life is just easy and then you think, oh my god, so i’m doing everything wrong because um i’m going through this struggle that struggle and that that that and then you like, there’s nobody that actually shares these Struggles that when you hear them you’re like okay, we’re humans like we, i can go through these things because, as you’re saying you know back, then these kinds of social media platforms – that’s the you know as destructive as social media – can be in some things.
It can also be it just depends how you use it, and you know i always thought that this podcast specifically the female fist.
I love getting females on here and giving them that platform to share their story because you never know who’s listening.
You never know who needs to relate to your story.
I had um last week, maureen shea, do you know maureen shay, no so considered the real million dollar baby back when uh that movie came out hilary swank was this.
Was her sparring partner, maureen shay she’s, a very well decorated, boxer she’s, like one of the pioneers from women’s boxing herself, are still an active professional boxer she’s, a fantastic woman um.
I had a great conversation with her last week, but we said, like you know what, like all the hard work, that she did and now she’s so happy that girls are getting these opportunities like going to the olympics, and you know having more of a platform, and I said like you know, and, and the evolution is continuing with girls like yourself with girls.
Like me, you know every time we do something that we’re sharing with the community, because we’re still up and coming it’s just giving more out there for women to look at and be like.
I feel what she’s saying and now this is inspiring me, whether it be in boxing whether it be in something else, but it’s the energy and the passion and the why that gets relayed to these people.
So that’s what i think is really important.
So when you’re talking about your unique story about coming from colombia, not knowing a stitch of english, going halfway across the world to australia and then starting this sport, that’s male dominant and has, as you mentioned, like you felt like.
You started laden – and you have all these incredible accomplishments in such a short compact time that usually takes men and women 10 12 15 years, and you know you were just killing it you’re on fire and now you’re, starting this amazing professional career, which there’s no stopping You know you’re gon na keep going and you’re gon na.
You know you’re doing everything that you need to do to get to the top and your unique story.
Imagine there’s a young girl out there.
That’S looking at this is like, oh god like.
I want to be just like that.
That’S so good! That’S what we like what you’re doing is amazing, that we just need to help each other and get these stories out there because um, it’s just what you say just inspire all this and as we sometimes complain that we don’t get the same exposure or the same Money or whatever it’s i mean.
Obviously we want equality, but we have to first create that equality like we we’re gon na support each other.
We got ta.
Yes, all the stories has to come out.
All females boxes have to come start talking to each other, come and grow and know because that’s what men do they actually grow each other.
I mean they’re just like go, go you go you guys just like we.
We need to keep going and doing that absolutely, and i think that that’s um, because there’s so few girls in this, like in ratio to men, i think that that’s something really important is to really bring each other together, because i think the lack of numbers with The girls, i think that almost creates more competitiveness, because you never know is this girl gon na come up away class.
Is she gon na come down the weight class because there’s so little in the weight class in comparison? So it’s almost like.
We already create this kind of, without even realizing like a competitive nature towards each other.
Yeah really be coming together.
Like yeah like i might fight her, and that would be great.
I might yeah, and that might be great too yeah.
You know i mean it’s a joke.
Like um, i i was, i answered to uh one of the instagram followers i was like.
I just love my joke like this is a joke so that angry person you saw in the ring trying to punch her.
I have to do it.
I mean i’ve been training so long for that, like i was training for long and so has she, but you have a job and you’re gon na finish your job and then then, after that we come back to be friends.
We come out to china and that’s it, but that was my job was i you know worse.
It’S just business in the ring.
It’S just business go right: yeah, yeah, yeah, um, friend, jessica bruges.
I had her on the show too um her and i she’s one of the girls that i’ve had like five fights with and her, and i are like best friends outside of the ring literally best friends.
She lives like um three hours away from me, but we always check in with each other once in a while, like hey, what’s going on and we send like essays to each other like just updating it like.
What’S whatever but yeah we’ve and she even wrote an article one time explaining her journey through boxing, and she mentioned her specific encounter with me.
And she like.
It was the first time that she realized that she could have a good friend in boxing and still want to punch them in the face when it comes to go in the ring right honestly, those are some great fights too actually and we’re hugging and kissing each Other after like that was amazing, you did fantastic [, Laughter, ] um.
That’S the thing that i only share with uh christy harris yeah like we follow each other.
We are happy when she wins when she goes when she accomplish i’m so happy, because that’s how she is like he’s so good at like when i lost against her for the olympics.
I was crying my eyes out and she knew and she she had me and she said i know how much this meant to you and i can feel you pain and i love you and i hope you can pass that and continue your journey.
I was just like wow, that’s so cute, oh she’s, an amazing woman.
I love her like she and she did that to me and i love it.
No, just like it wasn’t her.
Oh i won blah blah.
It was.
She felt the pain of me.
No getting that support, and it was so nice and that’s beautiful, also in the tournaments overseas.
She she saw her training.
I was inspired by her like she was training all the time he died and i was just like i was like i’m.
I need to follow her like she’s, the one and yeah so nice yeah.
Well, i’m really happy at that moment that probably made that experience, because obviously something so big like an olympic qualifier.
You know obviously, of course, you’re heartbroken when you don’t get the result that you wanted, but that probably felt just a little bit better.
You know that yeah, you know what it means she came and like just that support yeah glowing and when you lose the fight against a a good opponent and went on rope or anything like that, it was just a good match and she was better that day.
What can i do like i’m, not taking any? I don’t have any excuses.
I wasn’t sick.
I wasn’t tired.
I was in.
I just did my best and she was better that day and my heart had softened to her because yeah well, what can we do? I wasn’t it wasn’t my best moments, but she was there better and then done.
Congratulations! So that’s why it just hurt because you lost and lucy is never nice.
No, nobody wants to lose right, but it’s always an experience at the end of the day.
It’S like that’s something that i think takes well high level athletes.
We all relate to this losses.
They’Re, not losses, they’re, always learning experiences, because you never lose when you show up and you perform that’s, never a loss, though it has to hurt.
Yes, if you beaten her you, you didn’t want it, but exactly exactly when people see me crying when i lose oh, but you didn’t say just just.
Let me feel the pain please.
I i trained so hard.
I work.
I left these and that and if it doesn’t hurt you then the same emotion like the same happiness you saw when i won the prodigy.
It’S the same, i i get the same when i lose.
I just get onto this sad crying, but i i need that.
I mean i feel like when i lose.
I need that.
I need to feel that i, for example – sometimes you don’t do enough or things like that which are worse.
That’S that’s another lessons that we, as in um elite athletes, learn um.
You have to leave everything there.
Yes, that one, that that, when you leave everything in the ring that doesn’t hurt like it hurts because you lose, but you can get over that quicker.
But when you actually know that you were lazy or you didn’t train enough or yeah or you just didn’t, perform, there’s that one that one that one stays and that’s yeah yeah always feel it.
You have to, of course, absolutely because you get motivated and you get ambitious from those types of losses, because you never want to make that mistake again, so it always pushes you to be better if you want it bad enough.
Yes, that is correct.
Well, i absolutely loved this conversation.
This was so much fun and is there anything else that you want to tell our audience um? Well, not just like you know, uh first, if you can follow my journey um.
Obviously my goal is a world title, as you mentioned before, and it’s a small um group of females on this division um.
So i know i got a big chance um so follow my journey.
I know i’m gon na make it you’re gon na see it.
I’Ve been training higher and more higher and higher and harder it’s going to be amazing, um.
Secondly, age is a number 100, that’s my that’s my thing and for females.
Unfortunately, we have different paths as nails and that that’s that doesn’t matter i mean it’s a fact.
It’S a fact of life, and it’s it.
You can’t change that, but don’t let that be an excuse to get where you want to get yeah in any sport in your life as a professional, even yeah as whatever you want to achieve.
Don’T let that be an excuse just because you’re a female, we have to stop doing that.
We got ta.
Stop that, like that label.
We just need to work hard, and i know things will come.
Things will happen exactly because that’s what we do.
We just put excuses and label, because it’s this – and i know like the sport – is growing so we’re making that happening.
So more money is gon na.
Come it’s not nobody’s fault.
We just need to make it more exciting, keep making it bigger, and it’s gon na come that, that’s it as a as a in a mean sport.
I mean um yeah, no, nothing like um yeah, just be happy every day.
Follow your dreams and every day, when you wake up, just be grateful for whatever you have, even if it takes you across the world exactly what is your instagram name, it’s boxer underscore ruiz, correct so for everybody that wants to follow her boxer box, er underscore r? U i zed there.
She is, thank you so much viviana and put them up for me.
Thank you so much and join us everybody next week for our next episode of the female fist.
Thank you.
Everybody for joining
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