Women Box    Women Box / Photographer / 2012
A multimedia project on Women Boxers
Camille Currie, before her last amateur fight. Golden Gloves, NYC 2011
Storm Chandler, John's Gym, Bronx, NY
Cashmere Jackson waiting for her bout at the USA Boxing National Championship, Colorado Springs, CO Cashmere Jackson waiting for her bout at the USA Boxing National Championship, Colorado Springs, CO Cashmere Jackson waiting for her bout at the USA Boxing National Championship, Colorado Springs, CO
Franchon Crews, USA Boxing National Championship, 2011.
Credits

Produced with Marianne McCune/WNYC, Ann Heppermann, Emily Botein, Joe Richman and Samara Freemark/Radio Diaries

Thank you to the many people who have helped usher this project into the world: My collaborator and co-producer, Marianne McCune/WNYC Thank you: To the amazing team at The New York Times Magazine: Kathy Ryan, Amy Kellner, Samantha Henig, Catriona Stuart, Matthew Orr, and Dean Robinson. To the visionaries at WNYC: Emily Botein, Karen Frillmann, and Kathleen Ehrlich. The the photographers who walked me through this: Andrew Lichtenstein, Linda Rosier, Harvey Wang, Susan Meiselas, Chris Killip, and Kent Rodzwicz. To the talented radio and video producers who have all left their mark on this project: Ann Hepperman, Joe Richman, Ben Shapiro. Thanks to Christy Halbert for answering endless questions about women's boxing, Julie Goldsticker at USABoxing for late night emails, and Kevin Franklin for welcoming me at my first tournament. To my boxing crew: trainer Vanessa Chakour (Sacred Warrior), and fellow boxers Sonya Kitchell, Lisa Polen, Maddalena P. and Yali Szulanski. To my friends and mentors who encouraged me along the way: Elizabeth Osder, Colleen Keegan, Aaron Landsman, Nadine Terk, Jenny Schmidt, Mo Ogrodnik, Matt Bardin, and Ida Benediitto. To the coaches who let me accompany them at many practices and tournaments: Devon Cormack, Calvin Ford, Patrice Harris, Barry Hunter, and Jason Crutchfield. To Bruce Silverglade who opened the doors to Gleason's for me and opened my eyes to this world. Finally, thank you to the women who let me into their lives: Alex Love, Tyrieshia Douglas, Tiara Brown, Franchon Crews, Christina Cruz, Bertha Aracil, Claressa Shields, Heather Hardy, Camille Currie, Alicia Ashley, Jen Egan,Storm Chandler, Queen Underwood and many others who shared stories and moments with me.

The New York Times Magazine featured photographs and videos of three of the Olympic hopefuls that I have been following. Published Jan. 29th.

WNYC and NPR broadcast several radio stories from the series.

Men have boxed in the Olympic games since the ancient Greeks adopted the sport more than two thousand years ago. Women, never.

That changes in 2012, when women enter the Olympic boxing ring for the first time. In February, 24 American women will compete for three spots on the team.

Women Box is a new multimedia series following the women boxers who have been making history. The women who are competing for a spot on the Olympic team and the women who have paved the way for them.

Background:
I started going to a boxing gym two years ago. It quickly became my place of refuge—part therapy, part church. The lessons I was learning in the ring—keep your own rhythm, stay relaxed to be powerful—informed my daily life. I began to wonder why other women were attracted to hitting heavy bags…and each other. And so began this photo project.