Boxing Strong has plans for physical, mental training in Hollister

Lea este artículo en español aqui.

At the end of the day’s class at Boxing Strong, Chance Cardona celebrated turning 10 years old by being lightly punched in the stomach multiple times by each of his six fellow students. It’s as silly as any other birthday ritual, and, when it was over, his coach, Masha Cavazos, presented him with a little gift. “Happy Birthday” was sung by all, and a candle in a cupcake was blown out.

Boxing Strong, which opened in Hollister last September, offers personal training and classes for women and youth at the Body Ade gym on Industrial Drive. A former competitive fighter for the National Collegiate Boxing Association, Cavazos has held Boxing Strong classes at her gym in Monterey since 2018. 

“I love training athletes,” Cavazos said. “I love training non-athletes. I think about what I can do for them, why they are here, and how I can take them a step further. I get home late because I lose track of time.”

Born and raised in Russia, Cavazos  attended college in the Netherlands, where she started boxing training at age 19.

“I was getting my graduate degree in healthcare,” Cavazos said. “There was a boxing gym near my college, and I was curious, so I tried it out. I studied and, on the side, would work out and box.”

Coming to America, she initially found it challenging to find a gym that would accommodate her at a level equal to that of the men they trained. 

“The coaches would say, ‘Okay, you can jog, not run, but you gentlemen go ahead and sprint.’” Cavazos said.  ‘“Or, ‘You could do push-ups on your knees.’ But I can do push-ups, and all your gentlemen will not be able to match me because I just love working out.”

She found a gym she liked, and after a year, the coach suggested she fight. She was 27 at the time and attending the University of Southern California. She joined the collegiate boxing team and started competing. She won the Silver Medal at the National Collegiate Boxing Association West Coast Championship in 2015 and then captured first place in 2017.

“It was awesome,” Cavazos said. “But I graduated and had my last fight when I was 32. I got a job at Nordic Naturals in Monterey, but, of course, I still went to the gym. People watching me hit the bag would ask me to train them, so I took on a client here and there.” 

Within a year, she was successful enough at personal training that she quit her job and subleased a room in a gym in Monterey. As her business grew, she was able to sublease her current facility, a 3,200-square-foot gym with a USA boxing-sanctioned ring near the Monterey Regional Airport.

Cavazos expanded her gym to include Muay Thai, kickboxing, sparring, wrestling, special classes for seniors—all programs she hopes to bring to Hollister. As she does in Monterey, she will also offer boxing training for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

“I got certification in Rock Steady Boxing,” she said. “It’s boxing for people with neurological disorders, which is proven to be one of the most effective therapies for them. We’ve got classes at senior centers like Merrill Gardens, Ivy Park, and Madonna Gardens.” 

In Monterey, Cavazos also partnered with Special Kids Connect, a special education resource organization, and College Living Experience, which assists students with developmental disabilities.

“I would like to give every cluster of [the] population something that can help make their lives better,’’ she said. “Because gyms are not just for people who come to lose weight or get a stronger bicep. I always say you could just do push-ups at home.”

Cavazos said she focuses on conditioning and self-empowerment, stressing the mental side of physical fitness, particularly in the classes for children, where she emphasizes that they can do and be anything.

“So many of these kids are so timid,” she said. “I push them to be better than they are, stronger, more confident. I tell parents, ‘Don’t help them,have them come to me.’ Because it takes guts to come and tell your coach you don’t understand.”

Chance’s father, Ruben Cardona Jr, said he had been looking for something to help build his son’s confidence and “get him out of his shell.”

“I thought it was a pretty good program after I talked to the coach,” he said, “and it’s a step in the right direction. Masha is great. She has good communication skills and is very hands-on with the kids.” 

Cavazos has run programs in the Castroville, Monterey, and Pacific Grove school districts.She said she has also reached out to the school districts in Hollister but, so far, it has not sparked any interest.

“The rules aren’t written,” she said. “I want to do summer camps or working in senior centers or providing schools with a program for children with disabilities. I have all the paperwork, licenses, and certifications the schools need. But I’ll go where my business takes me.”

Boxing Strong is located at 857 Industrial Dr., Suite A, Hollister. 

We need your help. Support local, nonprofit news! BenitoLink is a nonprofit news website that reports on San Benito County. Our team is committed to this community and providing essential, accurate information to our fellow residents. Producing local news is expensive, and community support keeps the news flowing. Please consider supporting BenitoLink, San Benito County’s public service nonprofit news.