Senior Delaney Devine was initially introduced to boxing through a family friend who owned a boxing gym. When Devine was younger, she boxed with her sister Katy Devine for summer fun. “She was a lot younger when we started, so my mom was more hesitant about her boxing. Now I just do most of the training by myself, which sometimes can just be for fun,” Devine said. Now, Devine trains boxing at the Element Gym every Sunday morning.

During practices, she starts with dynamic warm-ups such as sprint intervals or a mile run on the treadmill. Devine then gets into different boxing sets. She works both the hands and feet and practices using them together. After practice, Devine showers and consumes large amounts of proteins to build muscle. And lastly, stretching. “I’ll try to stretch a little bit more because my legs get tight. Stretching the calves and soleus is especially important because [during boxing], you’re always on your toes moving around,” Devine said.

One way Devine thinks boxing has impacted her life is the body-building process. “We also work a lot on abs, and things you wouldn’t necessarily think are correlated with boxing but are important. It’s definitely made me more fit. It’s a lot harder than you think because boxing uses both your legs and your arms. I do basketball and track and field as well. And for shot put for example, I use a lot of my legs with that same kind of movement. And doing sprint intervals helps with track and basketball,” Devine said.

However, for Devine, boxing isn’t just about physical fitness. It’s about pushing herself mentally and internally, setting and achieving personal goals with each punch thrown and each movement perfected. It’s about building confidence and resilience. Boxing has become more than just a sport for Devine—it’s a way of life.

Juggling all three sports, Devine pointed out that boxing allows her to navigate the goal-setting process from a different perspective. “[Boxing] definitely made me feel more confident. It’s different from my other sports… because [boxing] is a very individualized sport. It’s something I have to push myself and prove myself that I can, rather than to other people… It’s weird not participating in a team sport like basketball, where there are easier steps to see how much progress you’re making. Boxing is more about how I am improving and working hard,” she said.

These goal-setting moments can be how comfortable Devine is with her movements, and between sets and rotations, her coach gives feedback on her performance. “I think the main goal is to just continue doing it and have fun. Boxing helps me stay fit, and I feel like it’s a good stress manager for me,” Devine said.

One misconception often tied to boxing is volatile movements. “People think I am an aggressive person. I’m not. I feel like I definitely show some of the anger in boxing, but that’s where I feel like it gets all out. I don’t go around school feeling like I want to fight someone. There’s often a lot of misconception like ‘oh, you just fight people.’ I’ve never fought before, it’s mostly just the bags,” Devine said.

Moving forward, Devine knows that boxing will continue to be her companion, stress manager, and her source of strength. Stepping out of the gym, Devine carries with her the physical benefits and the invaluable lessons of discipline, perseverance, and self-belief that boxing has instilled in her.

Eat. Sleep. Box. Repeat. It’s more than just a mantra—it’s a testament to Devine’s dedication and unwavering spirit. From seeing little kids entering the Element Gym with their boxing gloves to watching other people her age fighting in rinks, Devine feels true inspiration coming from within and will continue to embody this passion into college.