Two Chatham sisters who have gained much from the sport of boxing are offering free trial boxing workshop to bring these benefits to girls 13 to 16.
Two Chatham sisters who have gained much from the sport of boxing are offering free trial boxing workshop to bring these benefits to girls 13 to 16.
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The Soul Strong with the Sisters Strain is being offered by Kat and Karissa Strain, who have done boxing training on and off since their mid-20s.
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“We found boxing as a way to increase our confidence and self-esteem; it was a big source of empowerment as women,” said Kat.
The 33-year-old twins, who are filmmakers and actors, pondered sharing this benefit with other women when working with boxing coaches in Toronto and Los Angeles.
A few years ago, they began working with Floyd Porter, owner of KAYO Boxing in Chatham, who suggested they become certified to coach women, Kat said.
She recently earned this certification and the sisters are ready to see where the program can go. The boxing workshop will be run Sundays in May from 10 am to noon at KAYO Boxing.
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“We want to encourage young women to try an activity they might not otherwise be exposed to, and build body positivity and confidence through sport,” Kat said.
They also want to work in reminders that bravery and strength and confidence starts in your mind, she added.
This explains the name “soul strong,” Karissa said, because “there’s strength of body, but there’s also strength of mind.”
When speaking to youth “there’s a lot of layers. . . a lot of other messaging you can bring in to help find ways to deal with stress, to deal with anxiety, to deal with going through life in a more happy, positive, confident state,” she said.
Part of the program is about fostering positive relationships and sisterhood.
Women are sometimes portrayed in the media as being “very catty or very competitive,” Karissa said.
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The goal is to make this program a positive experience involving “finding strength in yourself and also looking to your sister and congratulating her on the strengths you see in her,” she added.
The sisters are donating their time and covering the cost of the trial workshop to give back to the community. Participants will get a pair of gloves, hand wraps, jump rope, tote bag and a T-shirt.
“We want to make sure the girls leave the program with the tools they need to continue (boxing) training, if they choose to,” Kat said.
It’s a beginner program, but they hope some girls will want to pursue it further.
To register, email [email protected].
Karissa said there has been a positive response to the boxing workshop, with females of all ages showing interest. They invite anyone interested to email them so they can determine if they should expand the program to other ages and pursue sponsorship.
Porter, who has worked with youth for decades teaching kids important life skills through boxing, hopes the community will get behind the Strain sisters, because he knows it will be a challenging task.
“These ladies are willing to make a difference, they need to be supported,” he said.
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