Kaliesha West hasn’t thrown a punch in anger in years, however she was combating mad a few month in the past.
Her 11-year-old nephew was being bullied in class, and nowadays, bullying goes hand-in-hand with a video, so when the previous two-division world champion and 2023 inductee into the Worldwide Girls’s Boxing Corridor of Fame obtained wind of it, the fighter got here out of her once more.
Some would say it by no means left. At all times feisty, out and in of the ring, West had seemingly settled into retirement as a 35-year-old married mom of two, however blood is blood, and hers was boiling.
“I came upon it was approach worse than I had thought,” she stated. “I simply had that video, so after I talked to him, I stated, ‘Look, I stated, earlier than I publish something, I must know your aspect of the story. I must know what the heck’s occurring. Although I do know my nephew’s a very good child, you simply by no means know. Youngsters might be children.”
Seems, the video of the older pupil pushing West’s nephew right down to the ground was the second incident. The primary happened a month earlier than – this time, he was knocked out by a unique pupil. West discovered that out when the assailant in that incident messaged her after she posted the video on her Instagram account.
“The child who beat him, who knocked my nephew out, he stated, ‘I simply wish to say I am sorry. I used to be the one which obtained suspended a month in the past for punching your nephew within the face,’” West recalled. “And I used to be like, why did you do this? And he stated, ‘As a result of he was annoying me.’ And I stated, lots of people are annoying on this planet and you do not go to punching ways otherwise you’ll by no means be nothing. You will by no means do nothing together with your life. And this little child was like, ‘I do know. That is what my mother stated.’ And he was so apologetic.”
That child obtained a suspension, so did the opposite, and when he arrived again in school, he was required to carry an indication outdoors the college that stated, “Be Sort.”
That is 2023, in order that’s not shocking. Additionally not shocking is the truth that it took West reposting that video to get the college to get up and become involved. That’s not okay, particularly when bullying isn’t only a ceremony of passage anymore, however one thing that may lead youngsters to suicide. West’s family when via that type of tragedy when her nephew’s older brother dedicated suicide, and he or she wasn’t about to lose one other nephew.
So whereas touring from Texas again to her native California, her father Juan in tow able to throw down and clear home was all the time an possibility, the primary order of enterprise was ensuring her nephew was okay. And he’s. Again in class as if nothing occurred, she describes him as a “care-free spirit,” and that’s excellent news for all concerned.
“I used to be going via finals with college, so I have never known as my nephew, however I did examine in with him within the weeks following, and I used to be like, ‘How are issues? Are you again in class?’ He stated, ‘Yeah.’ Any issues? ‘No, none in any respect.’ That is all I needed to listen to.”
West is aware of what it’s wish to be bullied, having gone via loads of it herself when she was rising up.
“I used to be bullied even in highschool,” she stated. “Individuals would name me bizarre. After I was little, I obtained jumped as a result of I had curly hair, then I obtained picked on loads for being light-skinned. I obtained known as Oreo, I obtained known as wanna-be Black, wanna-be Mexican. After which the worst factor that ever occurred to me is a gaggle of ladies simply went to me and jumped me for no cause after I was 9 years outdated. No cause. They simply jumped me and had been calling me all type of names for having curly hair. And I obtained beat the hell up.”
By the point West reached highschool, the bullying continued, however she had extra urgent issues on her thoughts due to her budding newbie boxing profession. West, educated by her dad, had gotten so good so quick that when she gained the Golden Gloves, a narrative in The Press-Enterprise made positive that nothing would ever be the identical once more.
“The man’s title was Man McCarthy,” stated West. “He wrote a narrative that just about modified my life eternally in Moreno Valley, California. It was on the entrance cowl of The Press-Enterprise. And it had an image of me strolling via the halls of my highschool and stated how I took house the Golden Gloves title. After which while you open it up, there was like six pages extra to examine how I gained the Golden Gloves. And after that, each soccer participant, each cheerleader, all people within the college would go, ‘What’s up, champ? Hey, champ.’ And no one knew my title. They simply knew me as champ.”
Not everybody was on board the champ’s bandwagon, although, particularly not the classmate who stole her hat out of the locker room. West instructed her dad. He instructed his daughter to get her respect and handle enterprise. Off-campus, after all.
West listened to her father’s recommendation.
“I went as much as the woman that everyone stated stole it, and I stated, ‘Hey, meet me within the trails after sixth interval so I can knock you out,’” West laughs.
Sixth interval ended. The varsity was ready. And…
“She ended up paying me $20 and nonetheless denied it,” stated West. “She stated, ‘I did not steal your hat, however I will pay you $20 when you drop it.’ And I stated, okay.”
It was West’s first purse, and he or she didn’t even must combat for it. She laughs, realizing that from that time on, life was completely different. She will be able to owe it to boxing or to Man McCarthy, however no matter it was, she by no means seemed again. She turned professional in 2006, went 17-2-3, gained a pair of world titles, and is a type of boxers who was forward of her time. Merely put, if West’s period was in the present day, she could be with Claressa Shields, Katie Taylor, Amanda Serrano, Alycia Baumgardner and Seniesa Estrada as a real celebrity of girls’s boxing.
However she’s not worrying about What Ifs. There’s an excessive amount of occurring within the current for that – last exams, household life, and a corridor of fame acceptance speech to write down. All good things, and he or she’s greater than certified to dish out some recommendation to anybody being bullied.
“I hate realizing that it occurs,” West stated. “So anyone who’s getting bullied, primary, I’d inform them to maintain observe of the whole lot that is occurring; write all of it down, and all the time instantly inform a superior. And if nothing’s finished, do not wait. Do not assume it’ll go away. Do not assume when you’re good, they will cease as a result of it is not an issue with you; it is an issue with them. And who is aware of when they’ll determine to repair themselves.
So do not await the bully to vary as a result of they do not normally change. And also you prioritize your self. And if any individual does not do something about it, you let the subsequent individual know. And if the subsequent individual does not do something, let the subsequent individual know. You all the time go up the chain of command and simply work on what’s finest for you. And don’t be concerned about what anyone else has to say. Don’t be concerned about anyone else as a result of no one else cares extra about your self than your self. You’re going to be your greatest advocate.”