By: Hans Themistode
Heather Hardy’s personality has always been an outburst. The New York-born girl puts on a bright and warm smile whenever she walks into a room that is usually followed by kind and friendly conversations. However, whenever she stepped inside a boxing ring, her smile widened.
For nearly a decade, Hardy had reason to smile. She has come to be known to the public as one of the more prominent figures in women’s boxing, her fan base continues to expand and in 2018 – she fulfilled her lifelong dream of becoming a superstar. The champion of the world.
But while she’s officially checking every box on her boxing wish list, things start to fall apart behind the scenes. Her grin is still present but it’s all a facade. Her need to spend almost every waking minute in the gym suddenly disappeared.
Hardy’s passion and devotion to the sport left her and as a result, for the first time in her career, she suffered consecutive setbacks.
“I’ve been in this game for a long time,” Hardy said in a recent press release. “For about a year or so, I realized that I was just going through the motions. I’m not in love anymore, I’m not obsessed. I got caught up in the business of sport and it broke my heart. ”
Hardy’s loss to competitor Jessica Camara was particularly hard to swallow, believing she’d done more than enough to claim the win. In spite of everything, Hardy dusted off and went back to basics. With that career reset, came a sense of familiarity.
At 40, and still considered one of the biggest names in women’s boxing, Hardy is slowly but surely starting to find his way. The former 126-pound weightlifter now spends most of her time training regular clients at the famous Gleasons gym in New York. Thus, the spark she once had for the sport has returned.
With Hardy’s desire to fight back, she can’t wait to prove that she still belongs on the biggest stage against the biggest names.
To do so, Hardy will brave the home of former world champion Terri Harper, at Nottingham Arena in the United Kingdom on March 12. A win in their upcoming bout will likely be the way. puts the New York-born player firmly ahead for another world championship chance.
With boxing mortality looking Hardy in the eye, she could hear suspicious voices that made her doubt her chances of going against Harper and making another run.
However, no matter what punishment is thrown at her, Hardy is well aware that it is not every day that the 40-year-old former champion is given a chance to return to the limelight. And for that alone, she appreciates but isn’t pleased.
“I am really grateful for this opportunity! Not everyone gets a second chance, especially at my age. I am here on this stage, on this platform, with one more chance to show myself and the world what I can do. ”
