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I remember the first time I met Failu, Jeremy, and Emma from Southern Queens Boxing. I liked how they carried themselves and how they weren’t “too cool for school", as Failu said to us when we were about to start skipping. They came to my course, which Hendrix and I ended up looking forward to every week. They would show up, and Hendrix and I promised we would show up and give it a try too. The first day we came, it was cool to see the people who were training us also helping out with the kids and being happy, so we continued to show up.

At the time, I wasn’t sure where I stood in life. I wasn’t happy, I barely left my house, and I was struggling mentally. I don’t know if it was the release of emotions when I cried in someone’s arms halfway through sparring, but I didn’t realize how much weight I was carrying. I wasn’t crying because I was physically in pain, but because of everything mentally. I ended up showing up early every day, excited to train hard and push myself. I loved the gym, helping the kids, and trying to get better.

Emma has helped me a lot mentally, looking out for me, offering ideas, and even giving me rides to the gym—anything to help me get there. I loved the feeling of support and having good people to look up to. I can't quite remember how long I’ve been training at SQB, but I love it. It's a great place to get and stay fit and work through mentally challenging moments.

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