This weeks featured kickboxer is MICHELLE IAK!
Buffalo NY Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Kickboxing & Women's Fitness Member Feature
October 3, 2013
by Cara Nassar
I remember the first time I met her at the gym. She is always walking in with a smile. It's contagious. She is one of the most pleasant people at the gym and I am always happy to see her.
Michelle is not like other girls, but I love that about her. She loves Sabre's hockey, riding her motor bike in the summer and she wouldn't hesitate to take a swing at anyone who messes with her, gender aside.
However, what comes to mind the most when I think about Michelle is not her jovial aura or her edgy disposition. It is the way she inspires me. I look at where she was a year ago and where she is now and I know that she is strong beyond belief. At sixty pounds thinner she has overcome something that many people will struggle with for the rest of their lives.
This week I sat down with Michelle and had a one-on-one discussion about her transformation through kickboxing for Buffalo NY Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Kickboxing & Women's Fitness Member Feature! She never ceases to amaze me as I was left feeling as awe-inspired as ever.
How did you
get into all this?
I took an
interest when I was at the gym and some lady was talking to me about how her
friend lost a lot of weight kickboxing. I started researching and brought it up
to my mom who then found you guys and gave me a month membership for my
birthday. Within two weeks of being here I fell in love.
What is your
favorite part about kickboxing?
Sparring. I
love sparring. I love being in the ring.
When did you
start and how far have you come?
I started in
July of last year and since then have lost 60 pounds.
How do you
feel?
Fantastic. I
never thought that this would ever happen to me or that I would fall in love
with something that would completely change my life around. It has inspired me
to be so much better inside and outside of the gym and it has given me so much
confidence I never thought I’d have.
Do you want
to fight?
Oh yeah. F!*k
yeah. More than anything in the world. I walked into the gym with fighting as
my end goal. So far I feel like I’m on my way. I try not to put a time frame on
it. Coach Corey knows I want to and now I’m just hoping someday soon he will
tell me I’m ready. I’m just trying to keep plugging away and keep training
until I get there.
What do you see as your strengths and weaknesses?
One of my weaknesses, as I'm told, is that I'm not aggressive enough. I need to find my inner beast.
What advice
would you give to someone starting where you were a year ago?
Don’t give
up. It’s hard. It’s really hard. I know.
It takes a lot of motivation and will
power. But the end result is the best
feeling in the world.
What is the
biggest thing you were able to overcome?
There was a
period of time that I leveled out. I wasn't seeing results for a couple weeks. I wasn't losing anything and it frustrated me. But Steve kept pushing me and told me
although I don’t see it in the scale there are still results and that I just
need to keep on pushing.
Who in the
gym would you say has been influential helping you push yourself to fitness
goals?
Steve and
Max. At first Max would always push me on the floor. He would see how tired I was
and he would always say “One more Michelle! One more!” and he would always have
me do one more than I thought I could. Steve was beneficial
with the psychological aspects. We became really close and whenever I was
frustrated or annoyed I would go to him and he always knew what to say. He was
always there.
What are
your thoughts on being a woman in kickboxing?
At first I
was petrified. I didn't see any girls doing it and it would scare me away. This
is one regret that I have. I was fat. I was alone. I was a girl. And I was
scared. At first I couldn't do all that. Now I just walk in there and I own
that sh!t. [Laughs]
My advice to
any other female that may be timid to do something because they don’t see other
girl doing it is to go in there with everything you've got and show up those
boys. Be fearless. I wish I could have changed that.
"Michelle is one of the most caring people I know. She is the kind of person that takes care of other peoples needs before her own. The greatest change I have seen in her has nothing to do with her weight loss, but the confident person she has become." - Steve "Rotten Pear" Horton
“Over the
past year Michelle has shown an immense amount of dedication and has really
transformed her life both physically and mentally. When everyone else was home
on the couch Michelle put her time in at the gym giving 110% everyday. She has
completely changed her body and walks with a new sense of confidence. I couldn’t
be more proud of everything she’s accomplished.” – Coach Corey “The Story”
Webster
“What makes
Michelle special is that she is always willing to learn and to adapt. She is
just one of those people that I really love to teach. Every time I teach her
something new she is always working on it in her own time and improving all of
her techniques. That’s why for her the sky is the limit.” – Coach Dan “DJ
Roundhouse” Dorfman
“Michelle
was a fly on the wall until I swatted her off and it allowed her to realize she
can do this. Eventually conquering obstacles she never thought possible and now
she has blossomed into the most driven woman I’ve known. Ironically fat weighs
more than muscle and Michelle sure knows what its like to have 1000 pounds
lifted off her shoulders. The old saying is never judge a book by its cover and
Michelle is definitely no catcher in the rye.” – Coach Max Muscato
And from the lady herself..
"Everyone goes through things in life, hardships, happiness,
and tears. People deal with it in many different ways and whether it's healthy
or not everyone has their way of coping. As a teenager I encountered more than
people would expect, but I always overcame everything life threw at me and it
made me a stronger person. I know that kickboxing is a newer thing in my life
but I feel like it just fits and it’s what I'm supposed to be doing. It's
helping me better myself as a person, building my confidence and I'm achieving
things I never would have dreamed 2 years ago. I don't know what the future
holds, or what's going to happen... But I know I can overcome anything as long
as I always keep plugging forward, pursuing my dreams and following my heart.
Nothing is impossible." - Michelle Iak
Hope you enjoyed this weeks Buffalo NY Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Kickboxing & Women's Fitness Member Feature!
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