April 2017 – Jeannie Patton

Our Member of The Month for April 2017 is Jeannie Patton. Recently Jeannie has been training harder and looking fitter than ever before.  She also sparred in front of a crowd at our event in March, and did a great job.

Jeannie says that sparring in front of a crowd for the first time was a “real confident builder”. She stayed focused and didn’t feel the presence of the crowd until she heard her training partner Vanessa yelled her name in the last 30 seconds of the last round, and heard Dave Koeplin encouraging her to give it her best.

She strongly encourages her fellow female members who are interested in sparring to give it a try, and says she would be happy to help them out in the ring.  “The adrenaline rush to be in front of a crowd, getting punched or going against your own nature to hit with intent is uncomfortable. We are brought up not to be aggressive or speak out, and with boxing you’ll find that you’ll gain courage to apply this to every aspect in your life. I remember the first time going into the ring and becoming so over whelmed I wanted to cry.”

Jeannie says that the fun she has in the classes is what she likes the most about doing boxing. “My training buddies for sure are David Koeplin who I have the best laughs in class with, and we push each other but have great fun doing so, a comedy of errors at times. Then there is Anne Marie, Vanessa, and Helen who can give a shot and take a shot. A natural and mutual understanding of each other. Daniel Brown and Franco who don’t hold back, this encourages me to push back also. And all those who work the heavy bag with enthusiasm makes me want to keep up the pace and finesse.”

In her free time, Jeannie enjoys gardening, walking with her dog and watching boxing on TV.

Congratulations, Jeannie! Keep up the great work!