Anna Von usually frightens me on a normal day with her no-bull bite and get ‘er done attitude but now she can also physically pack a punch. Although being in the ring with Von would probably make me cry before I even slipped on the gloves, I will be ringside to cheer her on this Friday, March 4, as she, along with other tough chicks, get physical to raise money for Nellie’s: an emergency shelter for women and children.

Here’s what this 5ft1 machine has to say about her insane training regime, the important cause and then some: 

SDTC: In one sentence, what is this night all about?

Anna Von: Girl Fight is about bringing awareness to women in combat sports and raising money for a fantastic cause.

SDTC: Are you in pain right now?

Anna Von: My wrist has been injured for a while, and all the extra eating is making me gassy, but other than that, I’m aces.

SDTC: Please explain your vigorous training so we can feel bad about our lack thereof:

Anna Von: Well, before I started training for the fight, I was already working out 5-6 times a week. Twice with my coach, Lee Turner, and I ran 5k three times a week, plus at least one yoga class and a swim, but since I’ve started training for this, it’s all been upped. I do 2 hours boxing: one with my trainer, and one on the heavy bag, a lot of road work (running and punching with a mouth guard in) and a lot more hard long runs and strength training.

SDTC: Who else will be in the ring?

Anna Von: I’m fighting Christine Noble. She’s never fought before either. We’re both repping NewsGirls and we both train at Florida Jack’s. She’s taller, younger and heavier, and she’s got a lot of aggression.

SDTC: Can you tell us a bit about Nellie’s and how this became the charity of choice for this event?

Anna Von: I always wanted to line up with a woman’s charity, because boxing is one of the most empowering things I’ve ever done. In fact, I think it should be taught to all girls in school. Boxing has given me the confidence to walk through an underground parking lot without fear and run through Toronto’s ravine’s without looking over my shoulder. The more I thought about that, the more I wanted to help women who really needed that feeling more than anyone. Nellie’s was recommended to me when I was looking around for a reputable woman’s charity. After I met with Wendy Sung at Nellie’s, I knew they were the perfect fit. 100% of the proceeds are going to benefit their Violence Against Women prevention program which is empowering women who are victims of abuse to express their feelings, gain community, and to get the confidence and tools to prevent and avoid violence in the future.

SDTC: How has being in the ring changed your life?

Anna Von: As I said above, it’s been a huge help with my confidence. A friend asked me what the biggest difference was in my life since I started boxing, and I think he was pretty surprised when I said, “well, I don’t worry about getting raped much anymore”. Not that I’m some tough guy, but I know I could get one in, enough to get away. That, and I look pretty close to perfect naked. Or so I’ve been told;)

SDTC: Anything else you’d like to share?

Anna Von: I wanna say thanks for 99 Sudbury, Heineken and Puma for being so enthusiastic and helpful throughout this. They’ve really been amazing. And Boxing Ontario, for putting up with my incessant questions about anything and everything.

Join us and Pink Mafia this Friday!