Sophomore Cecilia O’Rollins finds her niche in kickboxing

Zac Costa, Yearbook Reporter
Originally published January 12, 2015

For Sophomore Cecilia O’Rollins, fighting is just another part of her daily life. Kickboxing — a mix of boxing, karate and other self-defense techniques — is something O’Rollins has been practicing for many reasons. She joined the class only seven months ago, but has started to make headway in the sport she loves.

O’Rollins began kickboxing because she was looking to play an uncommon sport.

“There were a few times in the beginning when I felt like I was the worst in the class and wasn’t going to get any better,” O’Rollins said. “But now I’m starting to learn and practice more, and I can see myself wanting to improve.”

It’s not all about being the best for O’Rollins, either. The practical aspect of kickboxing is something that she loves as well.

“Kickboxing involves a lot of self-defense. I’d like to think that someday I could use kickboxing to defend myself if something were to ever go wrong,” O’Rollins said. “In general, it’s a useful skill to be able to defend yourself, especially as a teenage girl.”

Kickboxing acts as a way for O’Rollins to make new friends and socialize as well. Many of the students are girls and this is helpful for her in focusing on her goals as a kickboxer.

“Guys in kickboxing tend to just want to beat people up and show off. For girls, it tends to be more about self-defense and working out. We also get to kick butt while we do it. It’s a lot of fun, and the people in my class are super nice,” O’Rollins said.

Not only does O’Rollins find the group of girls focused and kind, but they also act as a source of motivation for her in her endeavors as a kickboxer.

“Usually when you have a large group of people, some of them tend to be annoying or rude. But the people in kickboxing are all really nice,” O’Rollins said. “Some of them are super good, too, and they help inspire me to better myself.”

O’Rollins has become stronger from the many workouts and weightlifting.

“I’m sore all the time and have a lot of bruises on my legs. But it’s a really great skill to have, and a lot of fun too, which keeps me coming back,” O’Rollins said

Despite the challenges kickboxing presents, the physical, practical and social benefits of the sport drive O’Rollins to keep on kicking.