I feel the wind blowing through my hair as I race down this path like very other day, waiting for something exciting to happen in my life. My life had nothing fabulous or marvelous in it. There was nothing fancy. My life is plain old, normal. I can hear my foot steps running and the sound of my heart thumping. The sun is setting and I am nearly at the beach. I’m still running. Not afraid anymore, and not holding my shyness inside me any longer. I have a secret that no one knows. Not even my family, my best friend or even my boy friend.

At this time, girls didn’t have any freedom. Girls couldn’t do things that they would want but had to do what they were told. However, I am here to break that rule. Like people say, “Rules are meant to be broken.” I’ll let the whole world know. I will let the world know who I am, what I do and the things I’ve accomplished. I’ll start from the beginning. My name is Keisha Doray and my hobby is something that no one will ever guess. My hobby is boxing. Yes. Boxing is something I love and I want to share it with the world. Like I said before, girls had no freedom. It was just like being in prison but worse.

I’ve done boxing since I was seven. I fell in love with it right after I turned eight and got my first boxing gloves from my teacher, Mrs. Dexon. She is a woman who loves boxing as much as me. She started boxing since she was seven, just like me and she hasn’t stopped since. I was first inspired by a famous Boxer, Muhammad Ali. He was the champion of boxing and he loved it just as much. I loved watching him box in the ring, but my parents hated it. I couldn’t watch boxing every day, you know. Anyways, Muhammad had a phrase that just catches my breath every time. “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” I thought that the phrase was something extraordinary. However, if you actually watch him in one of his boxing matches, his phrase comes to life. He drifts so smoothly and slowly in the ring but stings just like a bee. To me, it seems like he’s not just walking on the ring floors. To me, it seems like he’s dancing. Dancing with happiness, doing something he loves and will never forget.

My coach can be rough a lot of times but she is someone who cares for me and will make this happen for me because she couldn’t get the chance to break the rule herself. She told me that she will do anything to make me someone who nobody would forget. Just like Muhammad Ali.

So here I am. Running as fast as I can, to reach my goals. Coach made me run around the whole beach twice already and she’s also going to make me do skipping ropes for my balance and speed. I’m almost to the end, but not close enough. I feel dehydrated but I have nothing that I can drink with me, unless I want to drink the salty water from the beach. Gross. I have a few miles to go and I’ll be at my destination. All I’m staring at is my goal and not letting my eyes wander off. I’m a few more miles closer. Closer and closer. I MADE IT! To my goal, nothing I have done before! I know that coach still won’t be satisfied since she can at least go around for 3 times. She won’t be satisfied until I reached at least 4 rounds. She gives me my water bottle and I drink most of it all.

“Stop drinking so much. You’ll need it for later.” Coach said sounding a little bit proud of me. I’m only 13 and I can go around this whole beach!


We are back inside this old place where boxing matches used to be held. This place even had Muhammad Ali in it once! I bet it’s going to collapse if I punch one of the walls with one of my best, strongest punches. Mrs. Dexon, my coach, brought out the skipping ropes. And we all know what that means. I have to jump 100 jumps with no mistakes, or else I’d have to start all over again. My life was this routine for so long, I can’t even remember.


Until today. Coach told me huge news. Something that will even make a huge sumo wrestler faint. My coach just told me that I am ready to go out in a competition filled with boys.

“All boys?! I can’t do that! I will lose so badly! I don’t have confidence! Well, I do. But no that much!” I screamed unconfidently.

“No. You can do this. You just need self confidence. You are good enough, Keisha! You are better than you think!” My coach said to me.

So, in less than a week, I’m going out on my first competition I’m so nervous. I never dreamed of this. I dreamed of once going on a competition, but not now. I was mostly thinking of after the rule of girls allowed to play boxing. Days are rushing by faster than I can think.


More days had passed and tomorrow is finally the day. The day that might change my life, or crush it into little pieces.


Hours have passed since yesterday while my coach was making me go home early to go to bed as early as possible to get my sleep when usually, she would make me stay up till 12-1 in the morning busting my wrists. However, yesterday, she was extra nice. She gave me a great dinner, and we also enjoyed a day at the spa to relax. It’s finally the day and I had to wake up extra early for practice at five in the morning. It’s almost 10, which means it’s almost time for the match. It’s around this neighborhood, so she can drive me there. I know this is a big opportunity, but this is rushing me too much. I’m very nervous, but my coach is doing a pretty good job of comforting me. A few more hours…


I am finally here at the match place and walking down the hall. I know that there is no girl change room… So I have no idea where to relax. My coach is leading me somewhere far from the ring but I follow her no matter what.


I found the change room and I just came out. I’m so nervous. Everyone is looking at me weirdly while they are passing by and I already have a bad idea about this. My match is after the one that is happening right now. However, something catches my eye. I see this boy walking away. However, it wasn’t some guy who just walked by giving me a stare. This boy walked past with the sweetest smile, no one can ever give me. I have no idea who he is but I fell in love with him just like that. He was not any boy in my neighborhood; he wasn’t any guy that was in the match. He was someone different, much better.

“Keisha!” came my coach’s voice breaking my moment of peace and love.

I knew I could never forget him; I’ve got to focus on my match. I was working out in the gym, just trying to get a little more energy before my big match. I know that this will absolutely crush my dreams but I still think this could make my dreams bigger.


Oh my Gosh… This is my match. OH MY GOSH!! I’M SO NERVOUS! Okay.
I just have to calm myself. Okay. Here goes nothing.

“The next match is Jason and Keisha…? Isn’t Keisha a girl’s name. No way. A girl is going against one of the strongest boxers?! Hahaha!”


After the announcer said those words, everyone started laughing. Now, I really didn’t have the confidence to get out there. However, coach pushed me forward and, after the audience saw me they laughed even harder.

“Oh no. This isn’t happening,” I cried inside.


When I finally reached the ring, I saw a boy, not older than me standing there staring me down. I knew I wasn’t going to let this go so I stared at him hard back. I never looked away from his eyes. He also never looked away either.

“3,2,1. BEGIN!”


That is how the match began. I never forgot about the phrase the whole time. ‘Float like a butterfly, Sting like a bee.’ I memorized it with my heart and I’m not letting it slip out of my mind for one second. If I did, I don’t know what’s going to happen next. I pray that I will win and take the rights for girls and their freedom.


Minutes are passing by and I haven’t put out a fist yet. I’m waiting for the boy to lose all his energy while I’m dodging every one of them. All of a sudden, I see my coach’s signal. That means only one thing. Put out my first fist.


I suddenly punch the guy as fast as I can and as hard as I can. ‘STING LIKE A BEE!’ Then suddenly, I missed! WHAT?! HOW CAN THIS BE HAPPENING?! My coach looks pretty unsatisfied. I don’t know what to do. I’m going to lose like this. I know I will. Many more minutes have passed and I feel like I’m about to faint. I feel so dizzy and in so much pain. I keep holding the word in my head but I still don’t think I can do this anymore. I see another punch coming along and I can’t take this anymore. I feel awful and the next thing I know, I wake up in the ring, cold as death. Even though I lost the match, coach looks pretty satisfied with me. I also hear the crowd going wild. The sound of the crowd makes me so happy and it suddenly filled me with joy.


Days have passed after the match and I have at least 5 people in my old boxing place. My coach is still volunteering and teaching me and a few of my friends who love boxing as much as me.


I have gotten everything I need. Remember the guy I saw in the match? Well, now, we are going out and everything is going as I want. The group I am in right now is a group of girls who want to do boxing and I’ loving it! I found out that the guy’s name is Ethan and he can be the sweetest! He’s the best out of everyone! I don’t know if I can not be around him for so long. This is my story. From tragic to something wonderful.