Wednesday, February 20 2019
During the coming months, we’ll be highlighting our fighters in training for the upcoming Rumble in the Rockies II in Denver, CO on June 6th. They’ve committed to four months of fundraising and training in preparation to get in the ring and literally fight for a cure. Whether their mom is battling, 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 Colleen Hartigan, fighting out of Blunt Force Training.
Where are you from?
West Boylston, MA
Where’d you go to college?
Endicott College
Did you play any sports growing up?
I played soccer, basketball, ice hockey, and softball up until college.
What do you do for work?
I'm the Event Logistics Manager for Footers Catering. I work closely with our sales team to help them with logistics for their events.
Why boxing? Did you ever picture yourself fighting?
I always had an itch to try a boxing class because I knew it would be a challenge and a great workout. I never pictured myself actually fighting someone, though. When I heard about Haymakers for Hope, I thought it was such a unique experience that I had to give it a shot.
Why on earth did you sign up to fight??
Aside from raising money for an amazing cause, I signed up because I wanted to challenge myself and do something completely out of my comfort zone. Every alumni that I've talked to said it has changed their outlook on life and I wanted something that was unique and could inspire others to challenge themselves as well.
You’re stepping in the ring to literally fight for a cure - where are you drawing your inspiration from? How has cancer affected you?
Cancer sucks, man. So many of my friends and immediate family members have been affected by it and it hurts me that there's nothing I can really do except support them. It has put some of my friends lives completely on hold and has challenged them in ways they didn't imagine. I wanted to give back in the slightest way by letting them know they aren't alone in this fight and will hopefully get their minds off of treatments and doctor appointments by watching my progress in boxing over the next couple months.
What is going to be the most difficult thing to give up during your training? (beer, cheeseburgers, time spent watching TV?)
I'm honestly really sad to be putting my other gym membership on pause for training. They always have fun challenges going on and it is really a community feel that I will miss most. And tequila.
When you’re not throwing punches and training -- what other hobbies/interests do you have?
I loooove music. I go to a lot of live music shows. I also love to hike, travel, find new coffee spots, and hang out with my friends.
Who do you think is the most excited to watch you get punched in the face come fight night?
My friend Johnny is pretty fired up that I got chosen, haha! He is overall a very enthusiastic person so I know he'll be excited to see my progress over the months and will definitely be supporting me on fight night.
Be sure to check out her fundraising page and wish her! Best of luck, Colleen!