Anna Ferguson

At school, I always felt like I was on the outside.

I wasn't a cool girl.

I didn't have like a big friendship group.

But at the gym, it didn't matter what you looked like, who you were, where you've come from, everyone rallied around you, right?

Especially when you were fighting, they'd all help you cut weight, they'd help you train, they'd

It was just this group mentality where everyone was in it together.

I think that sense of connection was probably just as healing as the physiological, physical side of things too.

But it was terrifying.

You know what's funny?

I mean, you get used to getting punched.

It's not that painful.

I hate getting kicked.

I don't like getting kicked.

And I would never check a kick.

So when you bring your leg up so that someone doesn't kick you, I mean, I was terrified of checking a kick in case I broke my shin bone.

So I'd just take kicks.

But...

the actual pain of the physicality of it wasn't the scary part, right?

It was the mindset of getting into a ring.

Like I'm not a mean person and I don't ever want to harm anyone else.