Friday, June 23 2017
During the coming months, we’ll be highlighting our fighters in training for the upcoming Belles of the Brawl V in Boston on October 5th. They’ve committed to four months of fundraising and training in preparation to get in the ring and literally fight for a cure. Whether they've had first hand experience, their father has passed or their friend has put up a victory against the disease – they’ve all got a story to tell and they’ve all got a reason to fight. Below you’ll hear from Samantha Ory, fighting out of UFC Gym in Boston, MA.
Where are you from?
I grew up in Andover Massachusetts, home to Andover Phillips Academy, but let’s be clear… I went to the public school! : )
Where did you go to college?
I went to Parsons School of Design in New York City – one of the most amazing experiences thus far that had such an impact in shaping who I am today.
Did you play any sports growing up?
I was (and still am) a runner! I was captain of the Cross Country team in high school, and ran the varsity mile and two mile. I would have continued in college, but let’s be honest – art school clearly has no sports teams. I also dance hip hop and golf (yes …golf is a sport people!!)
What do you do for work?
I am in finance, more specifically – Private Equity
Why boxing? Did you ever picture yourself fighting?
I used to do Mixed Martial Arts to stay in shape, and was always interested in pushing the limits to see how strong and agile I could be (given my 5 foot 1 inch stature) It was clear I had to protect myself out there!! After getting pretty banged up after a Krav Maga class (my arms were literally black and blue) I decided to tone it down a notch to avoid further injury. I realized I needed a real motivation to fight hard for in order to train on an intense level and feel like I was approaching an end goal – Haymakers was just the ticket!
Why on Earth did you sign up to fight??
I have had friends, family, my husband’s family and my friends family all battle cancer. I am also lucky enough to be on the other side and have friends working towards a cure – the strides that they have made and countless hours dedicated to researching for a cure with fruitful results has been incredibly inspirational to me. It’s very expensive to conduct these trials and every penny raised goes towards the end result of curing a particular type of cancer. Looking back from the early 1900’s up until present day, the magnitude of our efforts have clearly paid off thus far.
What is going to be the most difficult thing to give up during your training? (Beer, cheeseburgers, time spent watching tv?)
Comfort foods….don’t get me wrong, I am a pretty healthy eater, but man some super cheesy mac and cheese will be difficult for me to not gobble up!
When you’re not throwing punches and training – what other hobbies/interests do you have?
I have played the guitar since I was a kid and also like to sing and rock out as if a talent scout will be showing up at my door to sign me to Capital Records. I also love to draw and paint (special shout out to my art school friends!), dance hip hop with all of the super awesome 19 year olds at my dance studio, and have recently taken up Scuba Diving, which is somehow feeling a lot less scary now that I could be punched in the face at any given time in the next several months…
Who do you think is the most excited to watch you get punched in the face come fight night?
Probably my high school friends – I was very girly in high school, and used to dodge the plastic bouncy ball (remember those?) in gym class. This is for all of those times I lost a game of soccer, dodge ball, or soft ball for us because I was scared of getting hit.
Be sure to check out her fundraising page here and wish her luck! Best of luck, Samantha!