Inspiration Thursday: Boxer Queen Underwood

Photo: David Yamamoto / Special to The Star

Queen Underwood is a 5 time USA Boxing champion and 2012 Olympic hopeful.  When I first started training, Queen was one of the few women who were not just competing in boxing, but creating headlines and popularity for the sport.  Her punches are sharp and heavy, but it is her smile that resonated with me. 

Queen's training regiment was described in an interview with Seattle Woman Magazine:

Training for the Olympics is more than a full-time job. On any given day you might find Queen Underwood up at dawn with one of her trainers doing “road work,” running with strength and agility-enhancing boxing maneuvers mixed in. After a long run, it’s nourishment then time to hit the bags at the gym before starting a session with another trainer in the ring. Her days are long — often 8 to 10 hours with short breaks between sessions, and days off are a rare luxury as the clock ticking toward the 2012 Summer Games races forward.

In addition to being an incredible fighter, Queen works tirelessly to support young people who have suffered from abuse.  A victim of childhood sexual abuse herself, Queen is reaching out to others who have experienced sexual abuse and trying to inspire them through her own success.  Instead of dwelling on her past, she has moved forward, using her boxing to overcome past violence and set an example for other abused children.  Her philosophy?  Put the past behind you and fight to be the best you can be.  Although her website is now used to raise money for her Olympic bid, she plans to keep the site open after the Olympics to build her foundation to support abused children. 



Visit Queen's Living Out the Dream Foundation to support Queen!