“…it takes time and patience do not get discouraged if you do not see results immediately every body is different. Keep focused and don’t ever give up.”

Jacqueline (Jackie) Boyle

Activities: Boxing, Track, and Gymnastics

Q: Did you grow up playing sports? If so, what?

Yes I grew up playing sports. I started gymnastics at the age of 3 and began competing at the age of 8. I continued competing until I was 16, but due to an injury, I officially gave  it up at 17. I also ran track throughout middle school and all 4 years of high school.

Q: Were you active in college?

Yes, I was active in college, I attended West Virginia University. I was recruited by them and chose to go there for their gymnastics program. Unfortunately, due to injuries I sustained, I was not able to compete my Freshman year.  Sophomore year, I  walked on to the crew team  but  after that year, I didn’t continue, I just stayed as active as I could using our Student Rec Center.

Q: Was there a turning point in your life where you truly believed something needed to change? If so, what was it and when?

About 4 years ago was probably the turning point in my life. I was my heaviest I had ever been 165lbs and I started getting pretty sickly. I felt terrible all the time, tired, headaches, aches and pains in my joints (which I thought were just old injuries from gymnastics) and I would often break out in hives. I saw 6 doctors and had all kinds of blood work done. The only thing that helped or made any sense was to change my diet. The last doctor I saw told me my body created too much yeast and I needed to take gluten and dairy out of my diet and cut down my sugar intake ( only natural sugars ) . So I made that change and slowly started to feel much better and lost about 10-15lbs.

Q: How did you get started boxing?  What do you like about it?

I started boxing two years ago because I had lost some weight due to my change in diet but I wanted more. I was 29, rapidly approaching my 30’s and  I wanted to be in the best shape I could be. I wanted to change things up, I was getting bored with my workout and wanted to try something different. I had done it a couple times with other trainers in the past and knew it was challenging. I like the high intensity of boxing. I like that you are using your entire body at all times and constantly challenging yourself either when you’re hitting the bags, doing hand pads, or sparring.

Q: How far do you want to go with it?

I am still not sure how far I want to go with boxing. I decided to give it a shot with a fight and then take it from there. I absolutely loved the feeling of competing again and the adrenaline that pumps when fighting. After that fight, I decided that I do want to fight again. My goal is to fight in the Golden Gloves tournament next year in April of 2015. I am just going to continue doing fights throughout the year and see how it goes and how I feel.

Q: What do people say when they find out you are a boxer?

When I tell people I box and had my first fight they are usually pretty impressed/shocked. Usually they ask when I will fight again, and say they want to come watch.

Q: What do you find the hardest part about staying in shape is?

This time around I am having a much easier time staying in shape. This is the most consistent I have ever been. I really enjoy working out, and always have so that is the easy part of it. The diet is the hardest part if you’re around people that don’t eat well, it’s hard to stay on track and not want to just eat whatever they are having. I went off the gluten free/ dairy thing for about a year and then right around November I started having issues again with my stomach so I went back and I started feeling good again .

Q: How has getting back in shape changed the way you see yourself?

I see myself as very confident again, my moods are better and I see myself wanting to inspire as many people as I can.

Q: If you could say something to encourage other women looking to make a change regarding their health, what would it be?

I tell other women that want to make a change that it takes time and patience. Do not get discouraged if you do not see results immediately, everybody is different. Keep focused and don’t ever give up. I would also tell them to try something different that they may see as fun (as I did with boxing) , don’t continue doing the same routine, go out and try something different.