Tuesday, January 22 2019
Last year we took an amazing leap of faith, expanding Haymakers to a totally new market. Thirty brave individuals, connected by our mission to knockout cancer, signed up for the challenge. With little knowledge of what was in store prior to signing up, here is what they had to say about their experience.
It was an experience unlike any other, the training pushes your physical and mental limits to the max, and on fight night it all comes down to a handful of minutes. You’re volunteering to get hit in the face, pure and simple, it’s the real deal. You’re doing this to raise money for others less fortunate, so you don’t mind.
-Jay Badgley
“Training and Participating in Haymakers for Hope Rumble in the Rockies Inaugural event was the single most challenging, humbling, and rewarding experience of my life. I can confidently say that Haymakers for Hope and it’s amazing staff has positively changed my life forever by introducing me to boxing and self-defense, charities doing amazing work, and some very close friendships. I can’t wait to welcome the next Denver class of fighters and give them access to resources that will elevate their experience even further: Alumni!!”
- Josh Siegel
Words can’t describe the night of the fight; to have my friends and family supporting me and witnessing all the work I put in during training was unbelievable. The people I trained with are like family now; all those early mornings and getting stronger together brought us so close. Cancer sucks and you don’t always have the chance to really feel like you’re fighting it, but I felt like I was punching cancer in the face every day!
- Stephanie “Tessie” Mernick
If you are anything like me, you've felt helpless witnessing the people you love being diagnosed or fighting cancer. Or you've lost loved ones to cancer. Haymakers enabled me to fight back concretely while instilling a new fitness routine and confidence - both of which I desperately needed being brand new to Denver. And fight night??? Will be the best of your life. To this day, there are people who still don't believe I got in the ring. Crazy what can happen when you commit to something this kick-ass!
- Jessie Blake
Haymakers for Hope provided me with the rare opportunity to physically and mentally push myself further than I have before. Being pushed outside my comfort zone and to raise money for cancer was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I would highly recommend signing up for a Haymakers for Hope event. 4 months of grueling training is by far worth it once the main event rolls around. The whole Haymakers organization does a phenomenal job and I will continue to support them with the upcoming fights.
- Troy Orzech
Participating in Denver's Inaugural H4H was certainly one of the most intense and rewarding experiences I've ever had. The feeling of accomplishment after stepping out of that ring knowing you gave it all you had makes all the training worth it. Can't wait to cheer on the next batch of Denver fighters!
- William Palamet
Want to throw your name in the hat? Sign-ups for Rumble in the Rockies II are open until Friday, January 25th. Sign up here!