NAME: Aleksandra Magdziak
Stats: Coming soon
Measurements: 5'7", 140 lbs, reach 70 inches
Born: Poland
Resides in: Massachusetts
Sign: Aries

PUGILIST: Aleksandra, it is a pleasure to have you as our featured PUGILIST Lady of the Month, I'm know there are many female pugilists who are excited to hear about the art of pugilism from a female's point of view?

Aleksandra: It was my pleasure to be contacted by PUGILIST to interview for this featured article.

PUGILIST: What interested you in becoming a pugilist?

Aleksandra: In high school I was on a wresting team for two years and I loved the combat part of the sport, as well as the disciplined work out. Afterwards I tried kickboxing for a while, but never got into it entirely. When I finally started boxing, I knew this was it. I loved the science of the sport and the fact this is purely an individual effort in competition.

PUGILIST: Being a female pugilist, tell me about your experiences in the industry? How was it fighting in your country as compared to the US?

Aleksandra: I never fought in my country. My experience here on amateur level has been good. Boxing has its own politics to it, it used to frustrate me at the beginning, but now that I’m more used to the way things work, it’s easier. I try to focus on training and getting the fights lines up. I wish it was a little easier getting fights.

PUGILIST: Do you feel that the boxing industry fair to female pugilist? Meaning, are female pugilist being given the opportunities to earn the same type of income their male counter partners in the industry can make?

Aleksandra: No, I don’t think it is on the same level yet. Obviously the pay is not the same, as well as it is harder to find fights. It’s too bad because most of the fights I’ve seen are as good as male fights. On amateur level, women are often better prepared and conditioned. As usual, you’ll see sometimes a bad female fight, but you also see a lot of mediocre male fights. I am hoping in next few years things will even out more, as women’s boxing is becoming more and more popular.

PUGILIST: I hear that you are advancing from amateur status to pro status, tell me what opportunities that will arise for you as a pugilist from this transition?

Aleksandra: I think the best thing for me would be to transform my love for athletics to a money making venture. When you become a professional athlete and make a name for yourself, you have many opportunities to get involved in the business side of things once you are done competing. This is were I’d like to see things go – take few years to establish myself and enjoy the competition part, but eventually once I’m done fighting, transfer my time into business side of sports. I have a Management degree and started pursuing my Master’s as well, so it would be a perfect marriage of interests.

PUGILIST: Who is your favorite pugilist? And why?

Aleksandra: Being European, I like a lot of the European fighters – Calzaghe, Hatton, Klitschko. I like watching old Lennox Lewis fights. I try to pick up stuff to implement from their fights.

PUGILIST: Are you a southpaw fighter or a right handed fighter?

Aleksandra: Right handed

PUGILIST: Are you afraid on any dangers in the boxing arena being a woman pugilist?

Aleksandra: I don’t think its gender related, but rather the nature of the sport. I am aware that I’m pursuing an activity that can be potentially harmful to my health if I’m not prepared properly. That’s why I’m not rushing turning pro. I want to be absolutely prepared before I take the headgear off. I’m taking time now to clean up the technique and master the real trick in boxing – not getting hit. As the sport calls for it, you are going to get hit, but I think it can be minimized by training and getting really good.

PUGILIST: How do you prepare for a fight?

Aleksandra: I train all the time and stay consistent. I don’t really take breaks between fights. I run several times a week, lift weight, spar a lot and go through the boxing routine – heavy bag, pads and so on.

PUGILIST: How do you feel when you step into the ring?

Aleksandra: I feel like I’m the right place. I feel like this is the preparation time and sometime in future the few hundred people watching will turn into few thousand and more. I can’t wait!

PUGILIST: Any fights in the near future? If so, with who and when?

Aleksandra: December and January.

PUGILIST: Any advice that you would like to give to any young lady interested in becoming a pugilist?

Aleksandra: Train and don’t cut corners. Women who decide to compete in boxing are all tough, all strong and are all there because that’s what they really want. So even if you think you got it down, there is somebody out there training as hard. The only option is to train more.

To further contact Aleksandra please use: bmw96@hotmail.com www.myspace.com/aleksandrathegreat