Toronto Newsgirls Boxing Club

Please visit the Boxing Ontario Website @ www.boxingontario.com and check out the list of upcoming club shows.

The Toronto Newsgirls Boxing Club
July 2010

NEXT "WHIP YER BUTT INTO SHAPE" BOXING CAMP
Wanna float like a butterfly and sting like a bee?

July 19 - 30th
Monday to Friday | 7am - 9am | 2 weeks
$200

Same price for the past 10 years!
$50 deposit will guarantee your spot.
You can register with a $50 deposit sent by $email transfer to torontonewsgirls@hotmail.com or by cheque to Toronto Newsgirls at 388 Carlaw Ave. Unit 108 Toronto M4M2T4. No refunds.

"THE ANTIDOTE IS IN THE VENOM"

A fundraiser for our Shape Your Life Program

Was a hugely entertaining evening! Saturday, June 26th to kick off Pride week! This event was organized by Trios College as a fundraiser for our 'Shape Your Life' program! Entertainment included the wicked Toronto band Tomboyfriend and the main event was Ivan E. Coyote! Ivan, an incredible storyteller, recently performed at Buddies In Bad Times to not only a sold out crowd but to 50+ people standing in line hoping to get in. DJs included Hollyrock and cee swag. And! MC, the one and only Sasha Van Bon Bon.

Tickets $25 in advance, $30 at the door. Doors open 6pm, show 7pm, dancing 10pm.

Tickets from the Newsgirls gym during regular hours & at Good For Her, 175 Harbord. Cash only.

A LIFE OF FIGHTING

On May 23rd the Toronto band Tomboyfriend hosted an event at Slack's on Church Street with special guests Veda Hille and the Newsgirls' Performance Troupe. This event, hosted by the amazing Sasha Van Bon Bon raised $700 for Shape Your Life, our program that offers free boxing to female and trans survivors of violence. Thanks to all who were involved! You rock!

THE NEWSGIRLS' WEIGHT ROOM IS SO CLOSE TO BEING!

The 'Newsgirls Weight Room' will officially open July 1st. The Weight Room will house a 5-station Universal System among other things. Rental opportunities for fitness instructors are available. Talk to Savoy if you are interested, registered and insured.

FIGHT UPDATES

On May 14 Fearless and Shadow Blow fought great fights in Guelph. In the end their opponents Amanda Anderson of Regency and Sara Buzcek of Waterloo took the fights but not without a battle.

Then on June 2 Shadow Blow fought Debbie Richards of Sarnia. It was Shadow Blow's 12th fight and Richard's 87th fight! Shadow Blow went toe to toe with Richards at times hitting her so hard with torquing punches that it made her step back and acknowledge that she had met her match. In the end Richards took the fight but not without with a bloody nose.

And then Foxy stepped in the ring for her second bout against "Queen" Elizabeth Sawicki of Mississaga who was having her 7th fight. Foxy not only 'got some' but won the fight too!

A huge congrats to Fearless, Shadow Blow and Foxy for stepping into the ring!

If anyone would like a dvd of any of our Fight Factory club shows (1 to 10) you can purchase one for $50. All funds go into our competitor's program.

And more incredible news... Alaina "Machine" Hardie recently won a Silver medal in the women's medium heavy purple belt division of the IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championship on June 4th in Long Beach, California, the largest and most prestigious BJJ tournament in the world! Incredible news Machine! Congratulations!!!

NEXT KETTLEBELL COURSE AT NEWSGIRLS - CO-ED!

Want a wicked new way to work your body from the inside out? When you strengthen your core, your body has more strength and energy to become more active which is the way to work off calories and shed excess fat by either melting it away or toning it into muscle.

You won't believe it until you try it!

Twice a week for 5 weeks
Monday and Wednesday evenings from 8:15 - 9:30pm
June 21 - July 21
$150 for the 10-class course

Once a week for 5 weeks
Saturdays 8:30 - 9:45am
June 26 - July 24
$85

Drop-in fee for a single class $20

Cheapest kettlebell classes in town!

You can register with a $50 deposit sent by $email transfer to torontonewsgirls@hotmail.com or by cheque to Toronto Newsgirls at 388 Carlaw Ave. Unit 108 Toronto M4M2T4. No refunds.

HOOLA HOOPING!

Wanna check out a free hoola hoopin' class?

Allison Tarr of positivespinhoops.com is offering to do a free demo class for the Newsgirls!

Come check it out!

Saturday, June 19 from 2:15 to 3:15pm

> Article on Health Zone.

What is hoopdance?
Hoopdance is a high-energy cardiovascular workout which helps tone the body & energize the mind. Combining elements of dance & fitness, hoopdance creates awareness of your body & the movements of which you are capable.

What are the benefits?

•boosts cardiovascular endurance
•increases energy
•builds core strength
•relieves stress
•instills confidence
•quiets the mind
•promotes flexibility
•enhances creativity
•strengthens abs
•sculpts thighs, buttocks, & arms
•promotes laughter

DUES

As most of you know, the Newsgirls operate on the honour system. You pay for classes and when they are up, you connect with Savoy to discuss the next set of classes. This includes packages of 20 classes in 16 weeks. We are proud to operate on the honour system as it keeps the vibe real in the gym. Please help out by playing your part.

LOCKERS - LAST CALL!

We have to sort out lockers. There are too many lockers in the gym that are not being used or paid for. Some of them house stinky clothes and are taking space away from current members. As of June 15 we will have to cut open any unidentified lockers. If you have a locker at the gym that needs to be cleared out, please do so immediately. As of June 30 any unclaimed items will be washed and donated to Women's Shelters and/or to Shape Your Life members.

NEWSGIRLS' LIBRARY

Anyone have books, dvds or videos from the Newsgirls' library? Please return so that other members can use. Specifically looking for my Punch Like A Girl videos, Celebrity Boxing video, Frailty Myth book, Kill the Body, the Head Will Fall books, etc.

HOME TO SHARE
Travelling? Need a place to stay in June? Furnished room for rent - home to share with a Newsgirl. Second bedroom suits 1 person ($500/mo), master bedroom suits couple ($750/mo) (will pro-rate cost). St. Clair & Old Weston Rd. Backyard, wi-fi. Available for month of June only. >Photos here.

Contact "Wolf": sprngcleaner@yahoo.com

OPTIMAL NUTRITION
Would you like to find more energy everyday from the foods you eat? Would you like to find out more about how simple vitamins and minerals can protect you from illness and disease?

For our individual consulting programs, we offer nutritional analysis to find out your nutritional strengths and weaknesses, pinpointing what nutrients you may be missing for optimum wellness.

MaryAnn has joined the Newsgirls to offer nutrition consulting for optimal wellness, specializing in Sports Nutrition, General Nutrition and Family Nutrition. Individual consultations and corporate/group events are available, and can be tailored to suit your needs and budget.

For more information on our classes or consulting packages, check out our website at createvitality.ca or contact MaryAnn at maryann@createvitality.ca or at 416-461-9379 to find a package that suits you.

THIS JUST IN! NUTRITION WORKSHOP

Detoxification: The basics of detox and how to do it safely. June 8th at 7pm

This workshop is $25 and will be held at 873 Broadview Ave. 2nd Floor

CHIROPRACTIC SERVICES AVAILABLE
If you feel like you're not reaching your full potential in the ring, or even outside, the team at Labelle Chiropractic Clinic is offering assistance. Dr. Joshua Gelber and his team will gladly consult with you at no cost, to answer any questions or health concerns. If an examination is warranted, the cost will also be waived . Any necessary x-rays will have a small charge associated with them. Please don't hesitate to call and book an appointment and check them out at labelleclinic.com, 1100 Bathurst Street at Dupont. 416-967-4466. info@labelleclinic.com.

FIGHT FACTORY X

"Springing Into Action" sprung into action on Sunday, April 25th at 2pm. It was an incredible show, probably one of our best so far. Nine Newsgirls stepped into the ring, four of them for their first time in front of a jam-packed house.

"Paws" kicked it into action with 3 rounds of intense and smart fighting for his first bout against "Queen Elizabeth" from Mississauga. Paws went toe to toe with the Queeen the whole fight losing only by a few points. His first fight, her fifth fight. It was awesome.

Then "Foxy" stepped into the ring for her first bout against the "Mad Squirrel" from Welland. The Mad Squirrel had 3 previous bouts but after meeting the Fox had to run and hide high in a tree. In the end, the Squirrel got away from the Fox but not without losing a part of her tail. The Fox 'got some' too.

Then "Fearless" stepped into the ring for her second bout against a Hamilton boxer who was having her third bout. All I can say is 'destroyed'. Fearless remains undefeated.

Then! The first Newsgirls' heavyweight bout ever! Two Newsgirls, "Anarchy" and "Bouncer" put on the gloves and duked it out in front of an already pumped crowd. It was beautiful! Both moved like lightweights, bouncing and circling while keeping the pressure on. Even the referee was a heavyweight! All the 'big girls' in the room were going crazy! No one had ever seen anything like this. What an inspiration to all the future heavyweights. In the end Bouncer took the fight.

Then, it only got more and more exciting......"Mayhem" took on "Hurricane" Amaral from Toronto. mayhem (mhm, mm) n 1. The offense of willfully maiming or cripling a person. 2. Infliction of violent injury on a person or thing: wanton destruction. 3. A state of violent disorder or riotous confusion: havoc.

Say no more.

And then....it....only.....got better....."Titus" got in the ring with a tall tough gal from Welland with pipes the size of Titus' head and arms that could reach across the room. The audience of 300 fell silent as if in prayer for our dear Titus Androgynous. And boy, was the crowd blown away when Titus came out like a troll from under the bridge in her striped socks and put the boots to her aggressor, Titus often jumping a good foot off the ground just to get in a head shot. This might just be one of the greatest fights of the century. In the end, Titus....felled.....the giant.

And then....and then.....the Main Event. Who was brave enough to take on a Newsgirl Canadian Champion but another Newsgirl Canadian Champion.....Trigger vs. Scrapper. This was an incredible fight showing the audience the difference between a novice bout (when a boxer has under 11 fights) and an open class bout (when a boxer has more than 11 fights.) These two went at it for four rounds slipping and ducking like pros. You would've never have known that they were friends. Both took punches that would have dropped most, yet they continued fighting like Olympians. Compliments continue to come in over the caliber of fighting in this match. In the end Trigger won on points but kudos to both fighters for showing the crowd what Olympic style boxing looks like.

Thanks to all who helped with the show. Couldn't have done it without you. And thanks to Anna Willats for the amazing mc'ing and Sasha Van Bon Bon and The Scandelles for opening the show with "These Boots Are Made for Walking". Thanks to Barbies Basement Jewellery for yet another incredible trophy belt buckle that all the contenders wait for. And to our sponsors: Toronto Women's Bookstore, Labelle Chiropractic, Knee Knox Enterprise, Tree Tails Dog Walking and Pet Sitting, AX360SPORTS.COM, Lorraine Munro Counselling/Pschotherapist, Opportunity for Advancement, Lianne Doucet/Life Coach, and our main sponsor createvitality.ca.

What a great show! Check out these photos by Andrea "Grizzly" Clegg A set by ARC photography plus.

THE NEWSGIRLS' WEIGHT ROOM
Great news! The gym is expanding! As of July 1st the 'Newsgirls Weight Room' will officially open. The Weight Room will house a 5-station Universal System amoungst other things. Rental opportunities for registered and insured fitness instructors will be available. More details to come soon.

Our Shape Your Life program continues to grow. See attached the photos of the first all-female boxing club in the North West Territories! This club was started by our very own "Viper" who has been up there teaching for the past year. Congratulations Viper! You rock!

This community, Gameti, has a population of 307 and is located 177 air km north-west of Yellowknife, at 64'09'N latitude and 177'20'W longitude. It is an important link in the chain of lakes which connects Great Slave to Great Bear Lakes. The community is accessible by air from Yellowknife year round and is connected by an ice road to the city in the winter.

Incredible work Viper.

Speaking of Shape Your Life, there will be a huge fundraiser for the program at the gym on Saturday, June 26 with lots of entertainment, food and an open bar. The main event: Ivan E. Coyote! Tickets will go on sale at the end of May. More details to follow.

Check out the testimonials on the new Shape Your Life website!

If you know of anyone who would like to make a donation towards a yearly membership for Shape Your Life graduates (half price $250 for SYL graduates), donations can be made through the PayPal button on the new SYL website. Tax receipts for donations over $20 will be provided.

Here is a great lesson from a recent SYL graduate.... "Fear is excitement without breath. Transform fear into excitement by breathing, by practicing the inhale and the exhale."

Atlas Club Show
Mayhem fought her first fight at the Atlas Boxing Club in Toronto against a woman who was having her third fight. Mayhem rocked. It was the first time a Newsgirls' first-timer slipped and ducked soo much, it was incredible. In the end the other gal won on points but there wasn't a single mark on our gal (ok a fat lip). Way to go Mayhem. That was a very impressive first fight especially against someone who has already had a couple.

And then Trigger! Trigger fought the women's main event and a rematch against Canadian Champion Lita Mae Button. Last time Trigger (16 bouts) fought Lita Mae (26 bouts) she only lost by only 2 points! In my opinion this fight was the best and most exciting fight of the night. I could hear people behind me saying "Now this is boxing!" And they were right. Lita Mae and Trigger showed off their stuff and fought relentlessly. In the end Lita Mae won on points but both fell into their corners exhausted after having given it their all. Congrats to both incredible fighters.

Congrats Trigger and Mayhem. You made the Newsgirls proud. I wish you could have heard all the compliments that came in, including from two Boxing Ontario officials!

Kartini Sejati

Great news from our new friends in Jakarta... after we left they started coaching a waiting list of women. They are currently negotiating with the owner of the men's gym to have access to it 3 times a week instead of once a week to accommodate their list of interested future boxers. Soon after we left they were invited to perform their boxing in a local mall which they took very seriously as a way of showing off images of strong women. Check out the photos at the bottom of the newsletter!

And! Two of them, 'Cut Throat' and 'Buffalo' will be coming to Toronto to continue their boxing studies somewhere around June 10 for one month. If anyone knows of a house-sitting opportunity close to downtown or to the gym for that time period, that would be so amazing. The Newsgirls would be willing to barter for boxing!

They are also close to sending us film footage of our adventures in Jakarta plus some footage of their "mall" presentation so stay tuned for a video night date at the gym. This will be a fundraising opportunity for us to send more boxing equipment back with them and will hopefully take place when they are in Toronto.

Bike Rack The gym now has a bike rack in the alley! Courtesy of Tannen Baum! During the summer the alley entrance becomes a second main entrance to the gym. It can be accessed at the north end of the building and south of the train bridge. There is a small parking lot (don't park there, they ticket!) and if you follow the short alley to the end you will see the big green doors that open into the gym. That is where the fancy new bicycle rack is. Thanks Tannen Baum!

Just a heads up... word has it that Ivan E. Coyote will be at the gym for a fundraiser for the Shape Your Life program on Saturday, June 26 at the start of Pride weekend. Can't say anything else (sworn to secrecy at this point!) but mark it in your calendar if you are looking for an awe inspiring evening!
More details to come soon.

FOUND AT GYM

Eyeglasses (possibly reading glasses)
Silver ring
Ankle brace
Watch - striped and blueish

GYM MAINTENANCE

If you have a locker at the gym but are not coming in please come in and vacate it so that it can be made available to current members. Thank you. After March 31st any unknown and unpaid lockers will have to be cut open.

Also, please have a look on the clothing rack to see if there is anything of yours and take it home. Too much stinky stuff kicking around. So if you are missing your favorite 'whatever' check on the rack before March 31. After that all clothes will be washed and donated to Good Will.

THE ADVENTURES OF SCRAPPER

After our very exciting adventures in Indonesia 'Coach Scrapper' continued her travels to Spain, New Orleans and Florida. While in New Orleans, as any committed boxer would do, Scrapper found a boxing gym, the James Joseph School of Boxing.

She had the pleasure of working with Coach James and will hopefully be sharing lots of stories and new experiences when she gets back.
We miss you Scrapper!

Coaches 'Siberian Huskie', 'Buffalo', 'Sugar Rey' and 'Cut Throat' put on their hand wraps in front of a mall audience, doing standing sit-ups, punching sit-ups, being interviewed about their program, and then involving people out of the mall's audience to come up and hit things (including men!)

MISSIONS ACCOMPLISHED!
Mission #1 - The Nationals

6 Newsgirls (Trigger, Shadow Blow, Super Nova, Scrapper, Loco Lococo and Kapow!) had an incredible week at the Nationals in Quebec at the end of January. We fought against the best of the best from across this country and came home with 3 Silver and 3 Bronze. Not bad for our first Nationals eh! Mission accomplished! And this is only the beginning of our journey to the 2012 Olympics.

Thanks to Hollyrocks for raising a whack of dough for us at your dance party fundraiser and thanks to all who 'bought bricks' to help get us there. We couldn't have done it without youz. And thanks to those of you who drove 7 hours to cheer us on. The Newsgirls had the best cheering section ever! And thanks to the 7 Newsgirls' coaches who held the fort while we were away.

Mission #2 - Jakarta, Indonesia

The day after the Nationals, coaches Kapow! and Scrapper boarded a plane to Jakarta (22 hours in flight!) to help a group of women set up their own 'Shape Your Life' program, our program that teaches boxing to female and Trans survivors of violence. For 10 days we taught 10 women who had never boxed before to become boxing coaches. These coaches will then go on to teach boxing to 30 women on a waiting list. It was more successful than we could ever have imagined. The coaches-to-be were like sponges to our information, and all through an interpreter! The day after we left they taught their first class to 10 women and two of their funders who observed the class were so impressed that they vowed to find them more funding. The funders couldn't believe that they learned that much in 10 days.

The funding for this program came from an organization that supports 'Women Living Under Muslim Law'. Most of these new coaches are members of the Gay and Trans communities and have incredible stories of survival to tell.

The new boxing coaches' boxing names are: Cut Throat, Green Hulk, Little Shark, Siberian Huskie, Buffalo, Warrior, Predator, Ketek, Sugar Rey and Pooh Banggg! Thanks to Black Eagle for cooking us rice, chicken, potatoes and fish for breakfast everyday.

It was such an incredible experience. They were all so good to us. We participated in panel discussions, traveled to the top of a mountain to dream about their gym, and.....shook hands and became SISTERING GYMS! Mission accomplished!

Toronto Newsgirls Boxing Club
and
Institut Pelangi Perempuan
"Sistering Gyms"
February 2010

MOVIE NIGHT
As soon as we get video footage back from Jakarta, we will have a video night at the gym to show the footage from the Nationals and from our adventures in Indonesia. Not to be missed. More details and a date soon. $5 suggested donation. All proceeds to go to Haiti.

>Read a new article about our gym on the Exercisetoronto.com website.

>Read a great article about one of our Shape Your Life graduates....

"A kind and compassionate act is often its own reward."
- J. Bennett -

Thanks to everyone who donated to the Help Haiti jar at the gym. So far we have collected $80 in change and bills which will be matched by the Canadian Government. We will keep the jar in the gym in case others want to make a donation. All funds getting to Haiti through the Canadian Red Cross.

GREAT DEAL ON DENTAL WORK

Dental cleaning for the fantastic price of $25 for adults (for children $20). More thorough and comprehensive than you'll get anywhere!

If you are interested contact Tara at taara@rogers.com and leave your name and phone number.

Check out the amazing article written by Toronto Star's Barb Turnbull!

Support Shape Your Life
If you or someone you know would like to contribute to the Shape Your Life program, here is one way you can... For $50 you can buy a pair of boxing gloves for a Shape Your Life graduate. Often something as simple as a pair of boxing gloves can be the incentive that keeps a participant boxing after graduating from the program. For every 3 pair of boxing gloves donated, the Newsgirls will donate one pair to the program graduates' fund. Sometimes a pair of boxing gloves is all it takes to make a difference. A tax receipt will be provided for all donations over $20.

HOLIDAY GIFT CERTIFICATES
Know someone who has been talking way too long about getting back into shape? Know someone who really needs to hit something? Or just looking for something special to give that someone special for the holidays? How about a gift certificate for 5 boxing classes and a pair of hand wraps for only $75....hand wraps thrown in for free on this holiday gift! Gift certificate can be mailed out or picked up.

KICKIN' BUTT!
Our gals continue to kick up a storm in the boxing community. Hollyrocks fought her second bout on Oct. 22 and won yet again. Out of 8 bouts (only 2 of which were women's bouts) her bout also won 'best bout of the night'. Moxy also fought on this card. It was Moxy's first fight and her opponent's fourth! And who won? Moxy go Moxy go Moxy!

UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY

Want to wear a belt buckle usually only worn by Newsgirls' fighters? The Newsgirls, in partnership with Barbie's Basement Jewellery www.bbj.ca will be making available a special edition belt buckle to be worn by all who support the Newsgirls in their adventures to the Olympics. Special edition "2012 or Bust!" buckle and belt $75. Can be picked up or mailed out to you. No additional cost.

Oh what an amazing weekend Oct. 2-4 we had at the Arnie B. Tournament in St. Catharines!

•Scrapper fought a boxer from Cabbagetown and won 18-1.
•Shadow Blow fought a gal from the National Training Centre in Sudbury and finished it before the first round was over.
•Super Nova also fought a gal from the National Training Centre in Sudbury and won 35-12.
•Trigger fought a World Champion with 50 fights! Trigger won the first round, tied the second round and then lost the third round by only 4 points!!! Did I mention it was Trigger's 12th fight and this gal's 51st fight?! It was Trigger's best fight ever.

Way to go Team Newsgirls!! You made us so proud. We definitely made a mark on the boxing community with all the compliments that came our way.

Fight Factory IX
October 24th

WHAT A SHOW!!!
Fight Factory IX was definitely one of our best shows ever! JAT (Jill Camarta, Andrya Duff and Tina Fushell) opened the show with a stunning performance of Robert Palmer's "Simply Irresistible". Wow!

Then seven Newsgirls stepped into the ring, four of them for their first fight.

•Fearless started the show off for her first fight with sheer determination in her eyes against a boxer from the Training Room and ended it before the first round was over. Whoa!

•Then Hollyrocks! climbed over the ropes for her first fight against a Cabbagetowner and did the same, ending it before the first round was over. Unbelievable. •Then Girly Guns got robbed! Robbed I say! She clocked her Training Room opponent and the referee stepped in for the 8-count but gave it to Girly Guns instead of to her opponent. No amount of the crowd's hollaring could change the ref's decision. The fight continued and was proving to be a well matched bout but the 8-count was just the start of a badly referee'd bout. The rematch will be a good one. •Then Scrapper stepped up to the plate for her 'rubber match' with Krishan Lysenko from Cabbagetown. A rubber match means the two fighters have fought twice before, each winning once. The rubber match decides who the boss is. And the boss.... Scrapper. Scrapper's record so far...10 wins, 1 loss.

•And then it only got better and better. Every Fight Factory show two Newsgirls fight each other just to show the crowd how tough they are. Shadow Blow and Trigger stepped into the ring together and fought 4 of the most exciting rounds of boxing seen in a long time! Non-stop punching, non-stop slipping. People couldn't believe that two Newsgirls could hit each other that hard and still be friends at the end of it. Intense. Their bout actually won the most exciting bout of the night, chosen by the Boxing Ontario officials at the end of the show.

•And it didn't end there. The main event...Crazy Loco Lococo against Ann Laure Bouvier of Cabbagetown. Two 120 pounders pounding like they were 160 pounders. They must have each thrown 300 punches per round. The crowd went crazy! Who would it be? We were sure it was Loco. Cabbagetown was sure it was Bouvier. Split decision for Bouvier. Fantastic fight for two warriors.

Ontario Provincials
Oct. 29 - Nov. 1

Six Newsgirls attended the Provincials in Windsor ...Shadow Blow, Super Nova, Crazy Loco, Trigger, Kapow! and Scrapper. Loco and Kapow! won GOLD by walkover, which means no one wanted to take them on. Super Nova won GOLD after winning her 'rubber match' with Monique Gallizeau of Sully's Boxing Club. And Trigger, Scrapper and Shadow Blow all scored BRONZE which means they can apply to fight at the Nationals in Quebec at the end of January along with Loco, Super Nova and Kapow!

Yeehaw! Olympics, here we come!

Thanks to Jackknife Johnson for purchasing a $500 yearly membership for $500 at the club show auction. These funds took care of all the Newsgirls' hotel fees at the Provincials. Thanks Jackknife!

Awesome Research Project

Are you a competitive athlete? Do you identify with any of the following terms? Gender queer, transgender, transsexual, two-spirited, trans, androgynous, or perhaps one that didn't make this list? If you live in or around Kingston or Toronto, Ontario and are an athlete who identifies with the trans community and currently participates in or has recently retired from competitive organized sport you may eligible to participate in my study.

I am a Master’s student at Queen’s University and I am currently looking for Canadian, English speaking athletes over the age of 18 to interview for my thesis on the experiences of trans-identified athletes and sport. My goal is to explore how trans-identified athletes deal with the sex and gender expectations in mainstream Canadian sport. Your involvement would entail one conversational interview, which would last between 90 and 120 minutes.

I am also looking for people to participate in a group discussion with other trans-identified athletes. The group discussion would last about 120 minutes. Interview and group discussion themes will include: sport and identity background, relations between gender and sport, marginalization and support, barriers to participation and the future of sport. You can choose to participate in either the interview or the group discussion or both the interview and the group discussion. I will do my best to ensure your confidentiality by using pseudonyms in all interview and focus group transcripts.

In appreciation for your participation you will receive a $5 dollar gift card to a local coffee shop.

If you are interested in participating in my study or would like more information please contact me by email at 6bb29@queensu.ca; Please be sure to include your name, contact information for your preferred mode of communication (e.g., email address, home or cellular number), and indicate your sport experience.

"Hit hard, hit fast, hit first, hit last."

The Newsgirls recently took part in the annual TRCC/MWAR (Toronto Rape Crisis Centre, Multicultural Women Against Rape) "Take Back the Night" march hosted by the Davenport-Perth Neighborhood Centre. The march was a huge success. Women from all kinds of organizations that support women in housing, education, job search and community building showed up and set up tables providing information about their services. Then the rally took place which gave atleast 20 speakers (including Scrapper and Kapow!) the opportunity to share stories and info to hundreds of women from all over Toronto. Then, the women set off through the Davenport/Symington neighborhood shouting chants of all kinds letting the neighborhood know that women will not be afraid to walk at night, that women will no longer take shit at home, and that women are a powerful, smart force not be messed with! It was awesome! The Newsgirl's travelling boxing ring was a huge hit.

Thanks to Scrapper, the Cornered Cat, Everblazing, Ginger Snaps! and all the other gals who helped out with the boxing ring posts and the Shape Your Life banner.
What a great event.

Sports in the news - check this out!
Holy gender/intersex phobia!

Please welcome Registered Nutritionist MaryAnn Scandiffio to Team Newsgirls! For those of you who attended the most recent Boot Camps, you know that MaryAnn gave very useful 10-minute nutrition talks on different topics each day. MaryAnn has joined the Newsgirls to offer nutrition consulting, specializing in Sports Nutrition, general/family nutrition and holistic food preparation. Consultations are available and can be tailored to suit your needs and budget by contacting MaryAnn at maryann@shiftfactor.ca or at 416-461-9379.

Consider investing in your own pair of boxing gloves as flu season is upon us and we must take all precautions to avoid getting sick. We sell about six different styles of gloves that range from $50 to $80.

Super Nova fought a great fight Sept. 24 at the Steam Whistle Brewery as part of a fundraiser for the Nazareth House women's shelter and for the Hospital for Sick Kid's emergency department. Super Nova fought Monique Gallizeau from Sully's, the same gal she beat at our last club show. This time she lost but only by split decision which means the 'rubber match' will be a good one. The rubber match will probably take place at the Arnie B. Tournament. Should be a good one! Also fighting at the 3-day Arnie B. Tournament in St. Catharines - Trigger, Scrapper and Shadow Blow.

So many great things have happened for the Newsgirls lately. Our hard work is paying off!
Shadow Blow won her fight at the CHIN Picnic (and she didn't even have to wear a bikini!) She dominated the entire fight, bloodying her opponent's nose in the first 30 seconds.

Crazy "Loco" Lococo fought the 3 x Australian champion in St. Catharines and barely lost in 3 rounds of the most exciting boxing of the evening. George Chavalo watched from ringside and later signed a poster for Loco "to the Boss Lady".

Scrapper made an amazing connection in Indonesia with a group of young women, mostly from the queer community, who want to start their own "Shape Your Life" program so that they can empower their 'peeps' to stand up for themselves to stop being harrassed in their communities. The plan is for Scrapper and Kapow! to go to Indonesia sometime this year to teach them the Newsgirls "Boxing 101" course so that they can teach others the basics of boxing. Then part 2 is for them to come to Toronto next year to observe our Shape Your Life program as well as our rec and amateur programs. Any donations towards this adventure will receive a tax donation!

Word about Shape Your Life has also hit Halifax. There is a group of East Coast gals asking about how they can start their own SYL program. Cool eh.

Two Toronto Newsgirls - Bullet and Scrapper - had the opportunity to attend an all-female boxing camp last weekend. The 3-day boxing camp was coached by 2x world champion Mary Spencer and former national champion Kathy Ure. It was held in Sarnia at the club Sharky's and Kathy put up all of the boxers at her beach-front home. In total 8 boxers participated, and workouts included running, drills, handpads, sparing and lots of one-on-one time with the coaches. Special thanks to Kathy and Mary for making this camp happen. >Covered in the Sarnia paper.

Other great news...

Boxing in the 2012 Olympics is looking good for women. It won't be announced until the Fall but if all goes as planned, CABA (the Canadian Amateur Boxing Association) will be announcing that boxing, the only Summer Olympic sport that does not allow women's participation, will finally be letting the women in. It's about time!

FIGHT FACTORY 8
Well Team, what a show eh!
Way to go Team Newsgirls!!!

Our shows just get better and better. Thanks to Vilma and buds for blowing the audience away with your opening song. Unbelievable. People are still talking about it. Congrats to Titus and TNT for stepping into the ring for your first fight. It could not have been a better club show opener following Vilma's song. You two rocked. And congrats to Surly, Super Nova, Viper and Loco for stepping back into the ring. A huge congrats to all of you for making Fight Factory 8 better than I could ever have imagined.

Also, thanks to this year's honorary dyke, Faith Nolan, and Pamela Levis for performing at intermission. The crowd loved you.

If anyone would like a dvd of the club show ($25 fundraiser) let me know.

>Great photo featured in NOW magazine

Check out this clip from CityTV news!

Courage: Being scared but doing it anyway.

FIGHT UPDATE

Viper fought her first fight on April 24 at the Centre Ring Boxing Club in Toronto barely losing to a split decision. Scrapper also fought on this card, a rematch against Kryshan Lysenko of Cabbagetown after losing to her in March. This time she beat Lysenko all three rounds. The third bout between these two, the "rubber match", will be a good one and will take place at our next club show on June 13. Not to be missed!

Viper went on to fight her second fight at the Atlas Boxing Club on May 9 beating her opponent in all three rounds. Shadow Blow also fought on this card and beat her opponent, one very tough gal from Niagara Falls, in a split decision.

Congrats to Scrapper, Viper and Shadow Blow and their opponents for stepping through the ropes!

MAIN ENTRANCE
During the summer, or if you cannot get into the building because the front doors are locked, please use our alley entrance which is at the north end of the building, just south of the train bridge at Carlaw and Gerrard. Follow the alley to the end and into our beautiful gym.

JUST A REMINDER
Our yearly memberships are only $500 ($42/month) for all-you-can-eat boxng and includes a locker. Yearly members also get boxing camps which are usually $200 for half-price

AFFORDABLE BOXING GLOVES
Tired of leaving the gym with stinky hands from borrowed gloves? Jump in on this great deal and invest in your own gloves. Main Event boxing gloves at the gym for $50, cheapest deal in town!

Check this out:
vimeo.com/3006598

TYSON
Check out this new film called Tyson, which is a documentary about former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson. The film is made my acclaimed indie director James Toback.

Toback allows Tyson to reveal himself without inhibition and with eloquence and a pervasive vulnerability. Through a mixture of original interviews and archival footage and photographs, a startlingly complex, fully-rounded human being emerges. The film ranges from Tyson's earliest memories of growing up on the mean streets of Brooklyn through his entry into the world of boxing, to his rollercoaster ride in the funhouse of worldwide fame and fortunes won and lost. It is the story of a legendary and uniquely controversial international athletic icon, a figure conjuring radical questions of race and class. In its depiction of a man rising from the most debased circumstances to unlimited heights, destroyed by his own hubris, TYSON emerges as a modern day version of classic Greek tragedy.

The trailer is on youtube.

FIGHT FACTORY VII

Fight Factory VII was yet another herstoric success at the Newsgirls on March 7 with seven very dramatic all-female bouts. Five of the Newsgirls stepped into the ring in front of a sold-out packed house. Congrats goes out to Shadow Blow, Scrapper, Trigger, Newsgirl and Super Nova for your sweat, no tears, and yes, just enough blood to remind people that this is boxing and that women are tough, tough, tough. Thanks to Titus Adrogynous for being such an awesome and hilarious MC. Thanks to all the club show volunteers, to Newsgirl for all your help and to Heart Wolven for all that you did around poster and program creation and website maintenance. What a team! Thanks also to the seven boxing clubs who attended our show: Cabbagetown, Xtreme Boxing, Fight Club, BEL Boxing, Leamington's, Sharky's and Sully's Boxing Clubs.

Check out this great article written by Dave Bidini (founder of the Rheostatics, one of Canada's most influential and most unconventional rock bands, and a huge sports fan!) He attended our last club show and had a blast!

Check out these great photos taken by our very own 'Mustang' Sally Grosart.

CESBA
Scrapper fought March 17 at the Canadian Emergency Service Boxing Association in Mississauga and beat (up until then undefeated 12/0) Kryshan Lysenko. Scrapper remains undefeated (7/0) and has accepted a rematch with Lysenko which will take place April 24 at Centre Ring in Toronto. For more info go to www.boxingontario.com.

Ray McGibbon's Tournament
Trigger, Needle and Scrapper fought April 3-5 at the Ray McGibbons in St. Catharines and made the Newsgirls proud! Three tough fights against three very tough opponents. All the women at the tourny were great fighters. Unfortunately out of 83 bouts, only 9 were women's bouts! That's only 9 % female participation. This is something we have to change! Trigger fought and tied her opponent. Needle barely lost to hers, and Scrapper won her fight and 'the best female fighter' of the tournament! Congrats to the three of you for yet again, stepping into the ring!

Take care of the front line, and all that follow reap the rewards of the battle.
- S. Howe

Our Shape Your Life Program is up and running again with the generous support of a 'Sugar Mama'. The current session is teaching boxing to 20 hard-working front-line social workers and has been a huge success. We are now working on developing another Shape Your Life session for at-risk youth. If you would like more info on the Shape Your Life Program or if you would like to become a Sugar Mama, visit torontonewsgirls.com/shapeyourlife.

The May '09 issue of Chatelaine Magazine ran an article about one of the graduates of the Shape Your Life Program! >Download it here.

Looking for a good ruck? Check out Toronto Nomad's Women's Rugby! torontonomads.com

Looking for a best bud? Check out superdyke.com!

Brampton Cup
Tower and Shadow Blow fought recently at the Brampton Cup. Shadow Blow fought a tough fight against a gal from Cabbagetown, barely losing in the third round. Tower ended her fight in the first round against a boxer from the Uptown Boxing Club after her opponent's coach threw in the towel. Congrats to both fighters for stepping into the ring.

The Newsgirls have just sent another box of boxing supplies (boxing gloves, hand wraps, head gear and t-shirts) over to our friends in Calcutta, India. The photographer who put us in touch with these female boxers is David Trattles www.davidtrattles.com. He will be hand delivering the supplies to the women to help them with their training. I will be going to Calcutta with David later this year to meet the women and to share some of our boxing techniques with them. Exciting eh! So far we have connected with all-female clubs in Tokyo and Berlin and have sent packages of equipment to Calcutta and to the Congo. Cool eh.

Fights in '08

Seven Newsgirls fought at Fight Factory VI, (4 having their first fight) and six won.
3 wins were accomplished before the 2nd round was even over! The only reason the seventh didn't win is she fought another Newsgirl in the main event, and someone had to win. Congrats to G-Force, Super Nova, Tower, Ruckus, Trigger, Shadow Blow and Scrapper! What a great show! And thanks to the 250+ audience members who squished in to watch the show.

One of the Boxing Ontario officials asked me "What are you putting in their water Savoy!?" I winked and said "I'll never tell!"

The following weekend G-Force fought again in Aurora and just like in her fight at our club show, she ended it in the first round. Then the following weekend G-Force had her 3rd fight in Brampton and yet again, ended it in the first round. Unbelievable. And on Dec. 20th, at a Gala in Mississauga, G-Force aka "Hit Again" Hinnighan won yet again.

Super Nova also fought on this card and won a very tough fight. By the 3rd round not only was her opponent covered in her own blood, but so was Super Nova, the referee, and all of Brampton! Two great fights both against Peel Region police officers.

Scrapper won her fight Friday Dec. 12th in Brampton to a unanimous decision!

Our record so far since October...22 fights...20 wins...2 losses. We seem to be doing something right!

Our new Provincial Silver Medalist Kira 'Loco' Lococo
fought one of the most exciting bouts at the Provincials in Oshawa!!!
This was Kira's 10th fight and her opponent's 31st fight. Kira totally held her own, even dropping her opponent in the 4th round. Final score for Kira, 23-25. The rematch will be a good one!

The Newsgirls' competitors are making quite an impression on the Ontario amateur boxing scene. Loco Lococo won her Ottawa fight against one tough cop from New York City in the "Punch Up on Parliament" on Sept. 27. Loco finished it before the 3rd round was over with 3 standing 8-counts. TKO for Loco! Then at the Arnie Boehm Tournament in St. Catharines on Nov. 4, Loco finished her fight in the first round with a 15-point advantage. At the same tournament, Trigger Minott fought her best fight ever against a brick shit house from Kingston. Trigger was relentless for three rounds and barely lost 8-9 in the last round. Way to go Trigger and Loco, you make us so proud to be Newsgirls! Next!

Scrapper won her fight Thurs. Oct.16 against Cathy "Arm Bar" Van Ingen in at the "Knock Out Abuse" fundraiser benefiting the Sexual Assault/Rape Crisis Centre of Peel. Soon they'll be off to the Provincials.

Great News!
The building our gym is in has finally decided to recycle. At the same time we would like to cut our recycling in half by the end of October so please invest into a re-usable water bottle. Super thanks to Lockdown for kick-starting our recycling program!

Newsgirl's T-Shirts Are In!
Several colors and sizes to choose from. $20
Slogan options: Bite Me!, Wanna Fight?!, Think Outside the Ring.

Boxing Ontario
Recreational members are required to register with Boxing Ontario for insurance coverage.
The registration form is at the gym. There is a $5 registration fee but you get a $10 skipping rope for registering.
Ask Savoy for details.
You can register at your first class. The cost is $5.

WANNA EAT HEALTHY?
Check out Front Door Organics
Organic foods - "organics" for short - are grown and produced the way nature intended without herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, antibiotics or genetic modification. The results? Minimal impact on the environment, and better-tasting, naturally good food on your table. www.frontdoororganics.com

CHIROPRACTIC SERVICES AVAILABLE
If you feel like you're not reaching your full potential in the ring, or even outside, the team at Labelle Chiropractic Clinic is offering assistance. Dr. Joshua Gelber and his team will gladly consult with you at no cost, to answer any questions or health concerns. If an examination is warranted, the cost will also be waived. Any necessary x-rays will have a small charge associated with them. Please don't hesitate to call and book an appointment, and check them out at
www.labelleclinic.com
1100 Bathurst Street at Dupont.
416-967-4466
info@labelleclinic.com

Courage: The art of not letting anyone know you're scared to death.

MEDIA
>Our gym on Exercisetoronto.com
>Read about one of our SYL graduates
>SYL article by Toronto Star's Barb Turnbull
>Check out this clip of Fight Factory 8 from CityTV news!
>Download the May '09 issue of Chatelaine Magazine featuring an article about a Shape Your Life graduate!
>Article by Dave Bidini of the Rheostatics, on Fight Factory VII
>Mississauga News on "Loco" Lococo winning Golden Gloves Aug. '08
>Globe & Mail Jun. 24th '08
>CTV video ad for Pride '08 with Surly Christensen!
>Kay "Slick" Pettigrew's Xtra! article, Jun. 19th '08
>Watch Newsgirls on Breakfast TV.
>Read Toronto Star feature on Newsgirls, from Apr. 28, 2007.
>Watch Workopolis spot.
>Read Xtra! Magazine article on CAAWS award, from May 24, 2007.
>Watch Global TV spot on Newsgirls gym, from Jan. 2007.
>Read Xtra! Magazine feature on Newsgirls, from Oct. 2006.

Interesting Links
>Photos of Fight Factory VII by our 'Mustang' Sally Grosart
>What Mayor McCallion has to say about women's boxing
>Philadelphia's Front Street Gym
>Women's Boxing and the next Olympics
>Newsgirls Performance @ Woody's Toronto Pride 2008
>Newsgirls Club Show June 2007
>Newsgirls photos by Tara 'Whippit' McMullen
>http://www.changemakers.net/en-us/node/2279
>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHG-k1KvKHw
>Box Club Seitenwechsel
>Edison Sisters Boxing

WISH LIST
We are looking for affordable stacking chairs for our club shows. Could barter for boxing!

As the Newsgirls program expands, and as we continue to enhance the club space,
we are looking for continuing support through financial donations. >See Wish List.

AWARDS AWARDS!

The Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS) Breakthrough Awards

Savoy Kapow! Howe has been honoured with the individual/community award for accomplishments in the calendar years 2005 and 2006. Three individuals and three organizations will be honoured. These awards recognize exceptional achievements that break through traditional barriers and pave the way for girls and women to participate in sports and physical activity at every level.
>Read press release on CAAWS website.

The Pride Toronto Award for Excellence in Sports.

Savoy has also been honoured with an award from Pride Toronto recognizing outstanding contributions that have made an extraordinary impact on the quality of human experience within the queer community over the last year.