After graduate school at UTPA I moved to San Antonio, TX to begin my career as a Software Engineer. After a few years at graduate school and a job that required no movement for eight straight hours, I began to lose my once collegiate athletic physic. During a kayaking trip with fellow coworkers, I realized I had to turn things around. One of my fellow kayakers had a camera that day on the river. We all posed for a picture at the end of the exercise. Unfortunately for me, the Mexican food I had been enjoying in San Antonio was beginning to show. 

I tried the traditional workouts; running, weights, football, and basketball. Still none seemed to motivate me enough to lose the few extra pounds. One day I was visiting the west part of San Antonio when I came across Ayala's boxing gym. Tony Ayala, the owner, is a world-renowned boxing trainer. The gym reeked sweat and danger. I walked in with my Dockers and polo shirt and asked to train. They had no interest in training a 26 year old, at least not one in Dockers. That was fine with me since I was only interested in working out. I wasn't looking for a second career.

I was instructed to stay in a single corner and to not use their boxing gloves. Once in a while they would throw a nugget of information my way, "Don't do this, do that, try this, pick up the pace!!!" To my surprise I began to see a change in my body. My body was getting toned all over again. My energy level was the best it had ever been. After long days at work I couldn't wait to let out my frustrations on a punching bag or a speed bag. I didn't have to worry about my clothes or superficial things like that. I was there to workout and I began to crave it.

Then one day they asked me if I were interested in sparring. My male instinct took over and I shouted, "Yes!" Even to this day I wonder what I was thinking that day. I guess I wasn't at the moment. My opponent was a young stud being groomed for the Golden Gloves tournament that was a month away. The wait to enter the ring was killing me. I had seen this guy knock out all his opponents prior to me. I was wondering how I was going to explain to my boss the bruises on my face.

Once the bell rang, we met in the middle of the ring. We circled one another for a few seconds. He had an intense look and his punches were powerful. After months of hitting the bag, doing jump rope, hitting the speed bag, and doing thousands of push-ups my instincts took over. I unleashed a series of punches that sent him to the canvas. The entire gym stopped in disbelief, including myself. Once he stood back on his feet he looked at his corner for instruction. They instructed him to get back into the fight. A few seconds later he was back on the canvas, but this time for good. 

Since I defeated him my trainers asked if I would replace him in the tournament. Again, without thinking about it I said, "Yes." Little did I realize that my weight of 219 pounds put me in the Super Heavyweight division, which meant that I could possibly fight a guy weighing 260 pounds. If I wanted to fight in the next lower division (Heavyweight) I would have to get beneath 200 pounds. The thought of fighting people my size was the best motivation I have ever had. 

Since I was now training for a tournament I got a lot of individual training at the gym. My workouts now included working the hand mitts, sit-ups, different punching bags, more sparring, walking underneath ropes, medicine bags, stretching, longer periods of jumping rope, and an hour run everyday. I also modified my eating habits (Mexican food only once a day). Within a month I was weighing 192 pounds. I did not lose any of my strength during this transition. My energy level was beyond that of an 18 year old. 

I won the week long tournament for the heavyweight division at my skill level. The medal that I won was not as important as getting my youth back. I credit the success of my engineering career to boxing. It provided me with the confidence and the energy I needed on a daily basis.

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