www.womanthismonth.com May 2018 FEATURE | empowerment 39 want to be able to say I set myself a challenge and achieved it – to come out the other side. In training, these girls have been brilliant, so supportive and I love the hard work. Even if you’ve had a tough day, you come here and work it out and always go home feeling better. “My family have been a bit concerned; they’re worried about what will happen if I get hurt, since I am here by myself. But, I tell them we’re like a family and they are still supportive and proud.” Ragad’s sporty family are also supportive. Her sister is a CrossFit trainer and her dad’s into soccer. She, herself, took up boxing with Rumble Fit in New York and couldn’t wait to get back into action on her return to Bahrain. Yasmine initially took up boxing alongside her brother, who has since moved on to basketball. She says: “At first my mum was like: ‘Why do you want to do that? It’s not a sport for girls.’ But she can see that I enjoy it and I’m improving all the time.” And Manal adds that her extremely proud sons are also joining in. The auditor actually took part in Fight Night 3, having only been boxing for a few months at the time. She says: “I wanted to try something new and this is not just another form of exercise, it’s about power and impact.” All the women say they have seen a big improvement in their fitness, and Manal adds: “It’s also great for your overall confidence; not just in your own strength but in your dayto-day life.” Summing up what they hope to gain from taking part in Fight Night, Leanne concludes: “Just to come out the other side and be able to say ‘I did it.’ And to give these girls a hug and congratulate them at the end. “I’d also love to encourage other women to come along and give it a go. It’s not just a men’s sport, it’s hard work but great for everyone.” As the Lift philosophy goes “Train hard, fight easy.” These girls are ready to rumble. Check out our website at: www.womanthismonth.com to see the women in action. And Lift will be live streaming the fights on the night if you can’t get there in person.
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