Shylo Adams
LIFE REPORTER

An all girls kickboxing event being promoted by PinkMafia, an event planning and entertainment marketing company, is being hosted by Hook Up Muay Thai at Queen St. West’s Great Hall on Dec. 9, with all proceeds going to Nellie’s Shelter, which supports women and children.

“Boxing made me feel really empowered,” said Anna Von Frances, owner of PinkMafia.

“I wanted to incorporate it in a way and do some fundraising for Nellie’s Shelter.”

The first ‘GirlFight’ hosted in March of this year, by promoter PinkMafia, raised $7,000 for Nellie’s Shelter and with this event they hope to raise even more, said Von Frances.

The event will have six bouts of women’s amateur kickboxing, said Jim Marinow, founder of Hook Up Muay Thai gym, located at the intersection of Caledonia and Bridgeland.

“They will be fighting in K1, which means they can kick, clinch and knee,” Marinow said.

Jenna Pettinato, a development worker at Nellie’s, said she hopes the event will bring awareness to the shelter, which protects women against violence.

“It is our hope that people contact us after the event,” said Pettinato.

Debby Cabral will be fighting on behalf of Hook Up Muay Thai. She said she started training after getting herself out of a difficult time in her life.

“I had just gotten fresh out of detox,” said Cabral, “My friend and I said, ‘Why don’t we join a gym?’ so I could focus and channel my mind on something else.”

Cabral said it’s been almost two years now and the gym has become her new addiction.

Samantha Ralph, 21, a fourth-year kinesiology student at the University of Guelph-Humber, has been in Muay Thai classes for a year.

“I used to play varsity basketball and I stopped because school was getting so busy, and I was bored,” said Ralph.

Ralph’s brother told her about the fun he was having at Muay Thai classes.

“I jumped on the computer, Googled Muay Thai gyms around the area, found one, went there and it was instant- I loved it,” said Ralph.

She said she’s been in two Muay Thai competitions, winning one and tying in the other. Ralph, said she supports women competitors in the field of boxing and kickboxing.

“I think [women’s kickboxing] is awesome. It definitely gives them confidence that they can hold their own,” Ralph said.

Ralph said she hopes it shows women in need that they can fend for themselves.

“GirlFight is kind of a good representation that girls can take care of themselves,” Ralph said.