While the 2012 London Olympics tried to mandate women to wear skirts while competing, Hermala Solomon can usually be found wearing shorts and a t-shirt. Female boxing has been around for the same length of time as their opposite counterpart, yet received much less recognition and media attention. But that hasn’t stopped Eaglecrest’s Solomon.

Solomon, when asked about how much time she spent training, was able to give an easy answer of “three days a week.” When topped with the average four classes and the homework from all of them, this could easily lead to an eleven hour day. Yet she didn’t seem upset by the long hours presented to her by her sport of choice. She stated that she was inspired to start boxing because it was presented as a male dominated sport that she wanted to try for herself. Boxing is currently an industry dominated with male influence. Olympic boxing for men has been around since 1904 and only 108 years later was boxing developed for women. That doesn’t act as a deterrent for Solomon who said in regards to competition that “I’m trying to make it on the elite team right now. I’m not competing right now, but I’m looking forward to in the summer.”  

Solomon isn’t the only girl at Eaglecrest who prefers giving punches to other more traditional ‘feminine’ sports. She talked about her friend Julia, a grin sprouting when she said, “We spar together Friday.” Surprisingly, fighting together can strengthen the bond between two people. When fighting, adrenaline is released to the brain and this rush can help bind people closer and strengthen the emotions between two people. Boxing can also be used to counter stress and negative emotions. When boxing endorphins are released they can help stress-induced muscle tension. Solomon mentions that she chooses to box at A1 Boxing gym, a gym in Aurora.

Solomon, like many others, has taken inspiration from the late Muhammad Ali whom she said was her favourite boxer, period and acknowledges what a strong, independent woman she is. Her advice for any girl wishing to start boxing is this “Have confidence, you can do what you want to do as long as you put your mind to it.”

While media doesn’t often keep its eye on the ladies of boxing, woman are refusing to go out without punching. Women’s boxing at this point has been recognised as an Olympic Sport and has produced the world’s first twelve gold medal winners. Along with becoming a recognized Olympic sport, some of the most notable figures in boxing have been female. Among some notable female boxers are Laila Ali, the daughter of the late Muhammad Ali, Lucia Rijker, and Regina Halmich. And with the way sports are constantly evolving and these girl’s dedication, we can hope to see Solomon join their ranks.  For as Solomon said, “Women have more power than men, at this point, we can do anything a man can do.”