It’s Tay!
Certifications:
200hr Registered Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance
2016 IKF East Coast Kickboxing Champion
Hobbies: Baking, singing songs to my dog, hiking, breweries, pouring my soul out for internet strangers
My Why: The year leading up to my first encounter with fighting was one of the most difficult and painful times of my life. I was 3,000 miles away from my home of Augusta, GA, living alone in San Jose, CA, stuck in an emotionally abusive relationship and struggling to make enough money to even buy food. I had completely lost hope in myself. I was depressed, alone, afraid and felt completely powerless.
Fighting helped me find myself and find joy again. After a lifetime of abandonment, eating disorders, self-hate, anxiety and depression, I finally felt strong and confident in who I am and who I want to be.
Coming from an athletic background, I took to boxing and kickboxing naturally. It was by far the most challenging sport I have ever encountered--physically, mentally and emotionally. And after a few years, it started to take it’s tole. Something that once made me feel so alive suddenly made me feel so weak. So in 2018 I decided that, for my overall health, it was time to give up fighitng competitively. But now what? I was so focused on this journey that I didn’t know what came next. And I still don’t.
But that’s what this blog is about. Finding something worth fighitng for and giving it your all. Not every path will be a long one, but the journey along the way builds us, shapes us, and gives us the fire to carry on for the next challenge.
Four fights I’ve always had in my life: eating disorders, mental health issues, body image, and an ongoing grappling with my faith. I’m fighitng for myself to heal, to grow, and to love more every single day—and I want you to join me.
