Female boxer has three jobs, two kids, one dream
WASHINGTON - Tori Nelson first started boxing at the age of 29, but in her pursuit for the championship Nelson's journey is not so easy...
In Ashburn, Washington Tori Nelson, gives hope to single mothers. Her hard work, dedication and motto —”suck it up” — seem to help her persevere in balancing her dream career in boxing as well as taking care of her two teenage children.
Tori Nelson first started boxing at the age of 29, but in her pursuit for the championship Nelson’s journey is not so easy. Now 35, Nelson is a single mother working three jobs; she works as a school bus driver, cafeteria worker and an IHOP waitress, and maintains all three while taking care of her children.
“It’s hard,” says Nelson, “Especially doing it by myself because I don’t get enough time to raise my own kids, but I just suck it up… because I know I got two mouths I got to feed.”
Nelson squeezes her training time in between jobs. Craig Fledeger, Nelson’s professional coach and manager, says, “God does extraordinary things through ordinary people, and this is a prime example of that.”
Last month in the fifth fight of her career Nelson won the World Boxing Council Women’s Middle Weight title. This weekend Nelson will be competing in her first hometown fight at the Patriot center. “I am so happy because now all of my friends can come…all the people who saw me training, all of my bus driver friends, all of my IHOP friends…everybody can come see me now.”
She feels that she will not be able to reach her full potential while balancing everything in her life. She says, “Until that time comes I just have to keep going, suck it up and keep going.”
Click here to see the video.
