Ok I am SO excited to share my Q&A with Danyelle Wolf. Danyelle is an absolute badass but still totally a girly-girl. She’s the ideal sports brat! I was able to catch Danyelle fresh off her win at the Continental Championships in Guadalajara, Mexico. She’s dishing on boxing, being a lady and how to get that incredible bod! Check it out.
The Sports Brat: How you got into boxing is such an interesting story, can you share it with our readers?
Danyelle Wolf: I started playing sports when I was 4 and I played everything. I had a full ride for field hockey and track to Millersville University in Pennsylvania. My first plane ride was in college and we went to California and I decided that I wanted to live in California. So after I graduated college, I moved out to California. I was working as a life coach and I was debating going back to get my MBA or Law degree and I felt like I was wasting my god-given athletic ability. I was very torn and I had saved all the money to put myself through grad school but I felt like I wanted to give professional sports a try. I was debating what sport to pick and I thought I was going to go with triathlons. I was training in Mission Bay and people kept stopping me and asking me what kind of fighter I was. I thought it was a joke. Finally this guy asked me to come to this gym and try boxing. I went and I loved it. From the first time I put on the gloves, I knew this was the sport I was looking for.
TSB: Boxing is an intense sport, what do you do in your free time to relax and recover?
DW: I really love the woods. They always say you can take the girl out of the country but you can’t take the country out of the girl and that is so true for me. Living in San Diego, you start to miss the trees. I have been to the Na Pali coast of Kauai 4 times. I’ve hiked it 3 times with friends and once alone and it’s so beautiful. Getting out in nature is how I check out and relax.
TSB: You’re a 2016 Olympic hopeful, what’s your biggest driver at this point?
DW: My biggest motivation for getting to the Olympics is to be a positive role model for the sport of boxing. It’s a growing sport and I want to be a pioneer and a role model for young girls. You can be a girly boxer, that’s ok. You don’t have to lose your feminine side.
TSB: What’s one thing most women don’t know about boxing?
DW: It’s an amazing workout! I used to be a personal trainer and I would see people on the elliptical for an hour and they’re not even breaking a sweat. You can burn 900 calories in an hour of boxing! I don’t even do abs, mine come from sprinting, twisting and all the movements that come with boxing. Also, it’s never too late to start. I started at 25!
TSB: You’re in incredible shape! Can you share your top fitness tip?
DW: Interval training. It’s all about getting your heart rate up, then resting and repeating that cycle. It’s also not how long you work out, it’s what you’re doing.
TSB: What’s your style like in the ring?
DW: I always tailor the Team USA uniforms. I like them to be form-fitting. Then I always wear a really cool, bright pair of shoes. You get to really express yourself through your shoes. But I would love to wear a skirt if they would let us.
Danyelle is now on her way to South Korea for the World Championships. As you can imagine, all the costs for travel and training can add up. Danyelle is totally self-funded at this point and she still has over a year until the 2016 Olympics. She has set up a fundraiser on her website where you can help support and even get a limited edition tee! She’s also currently taking on sponsors, so you can contact Danyelle here if you are interested in sponsoring her road to the Olympics.