Giving her old life a knockout

I’ve been lucky enough to know the incredible people at Toronto Newsgirls. They are a fantastic, brilliant group of folks who are life transformation magicians.

Jacqueline Scott has gone from a life of hard knocks to delivering knockouts in the ring. The 29-year-old single mother, who grew up in foster care, is on her way to becoming a plumber with dreams of competing in the 2012 Olympics. She credits the Shape Your Life boxing program, run out of the Toronto Newsgirls Boxing Club for giving her the strength to turn her life around.

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Please don’t comment about how boxing is mean and violent. Nothing could be more mean and violent than the shit some of these women have gone through. Hand-holding “let’s rap about our feelings” does not work when you are struggling to get off drugs, kick out your deadbeat abusive boyfriend, and get food on the table in a very tenuous day-to-day existence. You need to find a safer, welcoming space where people let you smash inanimate objects and release your anger in a healthy way.