Heather "The Heat" Hardy is the UBF and WBC International Super Bantamweight Champion, undefeated in the ring. But boxing opponents aren't the only challengers the Brooklyn mother has knocked out.
Hardy says her passion for boxing began as a hobby. The single mother said she initially wanted to get in shape after her daughter Annie was born, but in a few short years, she became a professional title-holding boxer who has held a perfect record since 2012.
“I love to know that I have a chance to win,” Hardy said. “I love the physical aspect of it.”
She says she made it her personal mission to make it to the top after learning how female boxers are underpaid and not televised as often as their male counterparts. The fighter, who juggles training and raising her daughter, honed her skills by training in the ring at Gleason’s Gym in DUMBO.
“It’s still a lot more fellows doing boxing than women, but it’s grown a lot over the years,” her coach Devon Cormack said.
Hardy is no stranger to overcoming obstacles. In 2012, Hardy survived a fire that destroyed her apartment. She moved back home with her parents, but then Sandy hit, destroying their Gerritsen Beach home later that year.
“I come from a really resilient family,” she said. “When the fire hit and everyone was okay, I was thankful. And when the flood hit and everyone was ok, I was thankful. So that’s what kept me going.”
On Saturday, the survivor will take her fight to the Barclay’s Center, where she will defend her international title.
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But most importantly, she hopes her daughter will learn from her example.
“If you really want something, and you work hard, and you stick to it, you’ll get there,” she said.
