Friday, August 25 2017
During the coming months, we’ll be highlighting our fighters in training for the upcoming Hope NYC in New York City on November 16th. 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 Michael Kiami, fighting out of WorkTrainFight in New York City.
Where are you from?
Dover, MA
Where’d you go to college?
University of Pennsylvania
Did you play any sports growing up?
Rowing, Tennis, Skiing
What do you do for work?
Fixed Income Portfolio Manager at a Hedge Fund
Why boxing? Did you ever picture yourself fighting?
This past spring I started to incorporate boxing into my workout regimen as a fun source of cardio and I quickly fell in love with it. I was actually surprised how much I enjoyed it and found myself watching late night reruns of fights on Showtime almost every night and thought it would be a great experience to train for one myself.
Why on earth did you sign up to fight??
I was familiar with the Haymakers4Hope organization because some friends of mine have participated in the past, all of whom lost their fights, so I decided to register with the hopes of being the first of my friend group to come away with a win!
You’re stepping in the ring to literally fight for a cure - where are you drawing your inspiration from? How has cancer affected you?
As with many families, cancer has unfortunately affected mine as long as I can remember. My grandfather passed away from cancer only a few months after I was born. My grandmother, who is a cancer survivor, was diagnosed when I was 5 years old. My great-grandmother passed away from cancer when I was 14 years old, and most significantly, my mother passed away from cancer when I was 17 years old. I’ve personally witnessed and experienced the devastating affect this horrible disease has on those who are diagnosed, the struggle they endure to fight it, and the pain and suffering it causes for their loved ones. I am drawing my inspiration from all of these amazing people who have impacted my life and helped shape me to become the person that I am.
What is going to be the most difficult thing to give up during your training? (beer, cheeseburgers, time spent watching TV?)
Beer is definitely going to be a challenge, but I think the hardest thing for me is the early morning training sessions. I’ve never been a morning person and love my sleep, so let’s just say that the 5:30 alarm and I are not on the best of terms right now…
When you’re not throwing punches and training -- what other hobbies/interests do you have?
I love to ski. I typically go on 3-4 ski trips every season and will book last minute weekend trips out west if the conditions are worth the Sunday night redeye back straight to the office.
Who do you think is the most excited to watch you get punched in the face come fight night?
Definitely all of my friends. I think they’ve already started making wagers amongst themselves on how long I will last before going down.
Be sure to check out his fundraising page here and wish him luck! Best of luck, Michael!