Exercise and Fitness
Ariel Arismendez – She is a Knock Out!
by Michell Spoden
Historically woman’s boxing started in the early part of the 1900’s and with young girls practicing in the ring. Although quite assumably practiced much on the streets, it was first introduced in the Olympics. This form of sport for females was not highly regarded and banned for many centuries, but today it is a thriving thing for females. It still holds a strong attraction for females, young and old, all around the globe. Today we are here to get to know one of the very impressionable and impactful amateur boxers, Ariel Arismendez.
Michell: When did you decide to start boxing and why?
Ariel: I started boxing when I was 11, around the same time that I was getting bullied and picked on in school. Coincidently, my dad was going through the garage at the same time all of the bullying was taking place and he found a pair of old boxing gloves. This is when my parents got the idea to put me in boxing.
Michell: So how many fights and/or medals have you won? Do you plan on making your boxing into a career?
Ariel: Right now I have a record of 23 wins (7 by tko) and 2 losses. I have three national titles. My main goal is to get to the Olympics in 2016 and right now, it’s looking pretty good. After the Olympics, I haven’t quite decided what I want to do, going professional is an option but not very much money goes into women’s professional boxing so that is still unknown.
Michell: How much of your success in all that you do depends on attitude?
Ariel: Going into such a rough sport, you have to always have a positive mindset. Just as in every sport, you have your good days and your bad days, so when you do have a bad day, you can’t let that bring you down, you have to learn from it and come back stronger but the only way to be able to do that, is to have a positive mindset.
Michell: Give us a breakdown of a day in your world.
Ariel: My day consists of mostly school and boxing. I wake up in the morning, get dressed go to school just as any teenager. After school, I go to the boxing gym and spend about two and a half hours there: working out, heavy bags, speed bags, mitts, running, etc. After the gym, I go home where I finish any homework, eat dinner, spend time with my family, and then go to sleep. That’s pretty much my routine every day.
Michell: I used to live in Phoenix, Arizona, and it is one of the most beautiful places to be. Please share with us what you love to do for fun in your spare time there. What do you love most about Arizona?
Ariel: I like to spend most of my days indoor especially because this state can get very hot. I spend any of my spare time with my family and if we do decide to go out, we might go swimming or take a trip to the park if it’s not too hot and if it is we like to go watch a movie.
Michell: What is the most important thing you have learned?
Ariel: I’m not scared.
Michell: Do you consider yourself to be a humanitarian? Since you have been a part of helping the homeless with outreach
Ariel: Yes, I do consider myself to be a humanitarian because I like helping the less fortunate and I have a big heart. At the same time to stick up for myself or for others no matter what the crowd thinks. I got my morals from my parents. I have learned that some people are just not as fortunate as others and that’s not their fault. I can’t keep everyone from going to sleep hungry but I like to do whatever I can to make a difference even if it’s just in a handful of people’s lives.
Michell: How did you get connected with “The Streets Don’t Love You Back Movement”?
Ariel: I first met them while I was getting ready for one of my previous fights at a media workout day. They reached out to me and told me about everything that they did and I thought it was very nice of them and I decided I wanted to help out as much as I could.
Michell: Who has been the greatest mentor to you in your life and why?
Ariel: I have to say my parents. They’ve stuck by me no matter what and they have taught me so much. My trips and all of my boxing equipment can get hard to pay for but even when we were tight on money they always found somehow, some way to come up with that money to get me where I needed to be. I couldn’t be who I am without them nor could I be where I am without them. This is why they are some of my biggest motivations to succeed, because I want to one day be able to repay them with everything they’ve given me.
Michell: Share with us one of your deepest secret desires also so some of your long term goals for your life.
Ariel: My goal right now is to make the 2016 Olympic USA Team and that has been my dream since I was 11 years old. My long-term goal is to become a pediatrician, a child physiologist or someone who works with abused children and that is what I am going to school for right now. This profession would allow me to support my family and also give me a comforting feeling after a day’s work; it would feel good knowing I did something good for someone that day.
Michell: On behalf of myself and Recovering the Self, I would like to wish you the very best in all of your endeavors.
Ariel: Thank you so much for your support.
Follow Ariel on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ariel.arismendez?fref=ts
Learn more about The Streets Don’t Love You Back Movement: http://thestreetsdontloveyouback.ning.com/
About the Interviewer
Michell Spoden is the author of Stricken Yet Crowned and is also pursuing a transitional housing project for woman with an agricultural aspect. She has a degree in Business Science Administration and is finishing her bachelor’s in Project Management.