Why I Do What I Do...

I have definitely been asked this questions so many times in so many different ways..I will try to explain, but give you some background first.

I am one of 4 sisters who grew up in a 2-bedroom apartment in Woodside, Queens with crazy strict parents. My father was an alcoholic and incredibly abusive to me in every way possible. It was a complete nightmare when he was drunk and would threaten to set the house on fire. I remember trying to go to a different place in my mind that would make me happy. Those images usually consisted of replaying my ballet routines at the time or the compliment the teacher gave me in school for a good report or grades.

At a very young age, I quickly learned how to use positive images to make me happy. I absolutely loved the feeling of performing in front of a crowd during my ballet shows. I loved the outlet it provided as well as the positive attention I received. Additionally, I would see people smile and I realized that through my ballet (athletics), I was also able to make people happy and that made me happy...

Furthermore, living in very poor conditions taught me to be grateful & appreciate everything I have today including a roof over my head, food to eat and clothing. Throughout the years, I continue to apply what I learned at such a young age to my everyday life. I love the outlet, health benefits, and mental/spiritual growth that exercising and competition provides. I also learned to apply the principles I use in competition. For Example, I ran my first NYC Marathon when I was 16 years old. No one believed I could or should.... When I crossed that amazing finish line, I knew that if I could do this, I could do anything with FAITH and never ever giving up no matter how high the odds were...

Today, I continue this same path and that is doing the things that make me the happiest, pursuing excellence & my dreams, being grateful, and making other people smile! All of my life is a journey; which paths I take, what I look back on, and what I look forward to is up to me. I determine my destination, what kind of road I will take to get there, and how happy I am when I get there!

This is "Why I Do, What I Do"

"If the essence of my being has caused a smile to have appeared upon your face or a touch of joy wtihin your heart, then in living I have made my mark."

Much Love,

Patty Boom Boom

The Power of FAITH!

This picture pretty much sums it up for me...When I realized the fight had been stopped at 1:06 of the 4th round during my second professional fight last Friday, May 14th in Orlando, Florida, I looked up and thanked my higher power which to me is God. This was definitely a magical moment for me as getting to that place was nothing short of a miracle...

3 weeks before my scheduled bout, an MRI revealed a stress fracture on my right foot. A few days prior to that, a kettle bell dropped on my foot making it vulnerable to further injury, however, I couldn't stop training and I kept running and pounding on that foot until I was severely limping. The podiatrist was about to put my foot in an air cast for the required 4-6 weeks! I was in tears and told him how much this fight meant to me. When you speak to someone with sincerity, chances are that you will be heard. This Doctor was wonderful and taught me how to tape my foot as well as customized all my footwear with the proper cushion to relieve the pressure of the stressed bone.

I was to lay off the pounding which meant no long distance running or jumping. I got my heart pounding fix by doing hour long speed drills on the bike & elliptical machine. I made sure to tape my foot up well before my sparring sessions and not wince too much from the ridiculous pain. I was also wearing these crazy hard plastic orthopedics in my shoe that made my feet fall asleep, however, the toughest part was keeping this quiet from just about everyone. Two weeks later, I was scheduled to participate in a tough adventure run called the "Tough Mudder" which consisted of 7 miles of trail running with 17 obstacle courses designed by the British Military.

The thought of skipping this event did cross my mind, but I knew I would have felt as I had let myself down as waiting for everything to be perfect is not my style. Taking risks is what life is all about! I went forward with this event and I am so glad I did! I ended up finishing among the top women in an excellent time and had CBS do a special feature on me (which I just got confirmation will definitely air this Wednesday, May 19th on channel 2 during the Early show from 8-9am)...

After this event though, my foot was extra sore followed by extra hours of icing and pain. The training continued and then all of a sudden the week before my fight, my bout was cancelled! The replacement was going to be a tough and very experienced Mexican fighter. My only fight as a professional was back in October last year and I definitely had doubts, but it just made me NOT want to give up this opportunity to fight again as a co-main event feature under Hector "Macho" Camacho. I see every difficulty as a challenge, a stepping stone so I can never feel defeated by anything or anyone!

The week of the fight, I was waking up each day with feelings of amazing gratitude and hope even though there were still so many things that were up in the air. I felt that the only way to survive was with dignity, pride and courage. Everything fell into place literally at the very last moment and that was when I was raising up my hands in the end...

I am eternally grateful to my wonderful corner for being there and those closest to me. Thank you for your continued support throughout my journey! Although, these challenges teach me about life and having faith & patience it is extremely rewarding to be able to share my experiences and know that they have touched people in different ways.

"Your talent is God's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God."

Much Love,
Patty Boom Boom

Change is GOOD!

The title of my blog is "Change is Good", but Gosh it is so hard to accept sometimes huh? We get used to our daily routines, the people we know, the food we eat and basically our comfort zone. I am a total planner & had planned my 2010 completely different to what it has been so far.

Some very extremely painful personal experiences forced me to move back to NYC after living in the beautiful mountains of Asheville, North Carolina for the past 2.5 years. In Asheville, I totally got used to the amazing friendly people greeting you at the supermarkets, gyms, and trails while you are running. I got used to the little traffic where rarely someone honks their horn and where potholes are scarce and there is never a need to parallel park :). I got used to leaving the door to my home open & going out for crazy long walks/hikes with my dog Jack in the middle of the day during a break from work. I had also (believe it or not) got used to the 7hr round trip drive to the boxing gym I trained out of a few times per week and then all of a sudden everything came to a dramatic stop!

I am definitely not a stranger to adversity and have faced countless challenges in my 32 years. I have learned all about being a fighter from a very young age living in a severely abusive home and leaving at the age of 15. I survived living in NYC from that young age by continuing to go to school while supporting myself working after school at a Sneaker Store and exercising as my only outlet.

From then on, through out my life, I have had a roller coaster of moments ranging from OUTSTANDING to HORRIBLE! I have learned to rely on my faith and truly believe that "Things don't go wrong and break your heart so you can become bitter and give up. They happen to break you down and build you up so you can be all that you were intended to be."

Moving back to NYC has actually been harder than moving away. I guess being in the situation that caused me to move back had something to do with it, but having to literally start over from scratch and the overwhelming feelings of uncertainty has been one of the most difficult experiences to date. But, through all these difficulties, I have relied on my faith and realized that I would never have amounted to anything were it not for adversity. I was forced to come up the hard way and in the process, I am embracing the change as "It is ALL for a GOOD Reason!"

This new change has allowed me to go back to my old gym, Trinity Boxing where I am definitely getting quality training and has allowed me to team up with a new management group in Florida. It has also enabled me to be closer to my sister, nephews/niece, mom and even be closer to my church.

With all these unexpected changes, it has never deterred me from my goals and dreams. I continue to see life as an incredible adventure and participating in crazy weekend races & my daily training has helped keep a positive outlook. My focus at the moment is on my upcoming fight in May, so stay tuned for the latest updates/announcements. Ready or Not, Here Comes the Boom!

So, while nothing in this lifetime is permanent, I am taking all this new change in and making the absolute best out of it! CHANGE IS GOOD!

"Each difficult moment has the potential to open my eyes and open my heart."

Much Love,

Patricia "Patty Boom Boom" Alcivar
Face Your Fears, Live Your Dreams
www.patriciaalcivar.com

Patty Boom Boom Hits the Runway!

January 2010 has started off with a big BOOM in every way! But,it all has not gone exactly as planned...My last three consecutive bouts fell through. The most recent one on January 28th where I was suppose to box at the Charlotte Convention Center for "Fight Night for Kids" was one of the most disappointing & heartbreaking to date. Everything seemed to be going well for the most part. I mean, my opponent at least showed up for the weigh-ins this time even though she was 6lbs over & the commission allowed her a 5lb allowance. I was completely convinced & focused on the fight happening until the next day where my opponent failed the pregnancy test a few hours before the fight. I was devastated and just broke down & cried for a very long time...It was going to take a-lot of faith & inner strength to stay motivated.

Between this fight being cancelled & some personal problems, it was an extremely difficult week for me where I struggled more than I could ever remember. Two major things helped me get through this amazingly challenging week. First and foremost was FAITH! Going to church & just pouring everything into my prayers was extremely powerful! Secondly, In these times of adversity and challenges, you quickly find out who your real friends & supporters are. I am so very thankful to my big sis, my lifelong friend/old trainer Martin, & a few other wonderful people (you know who you are) who had encouraging words and so much wisdom to share.

I was able to pull myself together just in time for my WNC Magazine Fashion runway debut yesterday, February 5th. I have so much to live for & I am after all a fighter in every sense of the word. Wow! What an amazing experience! I have a whole new respect for modeling as it is not as easy as you may think...As with anything in life, its all about the attitude, energy & focus. If you are tentative or not fully present, people can feel it. You have to walk to the music, love what you are wearing, be fully present and most important of all, love/feel good about yourself.

I felt the anxiety build up just as if I was waiting to get in a ring, except this time, I was waiting to go out on the runway in heels :). Most of the time I am in either sneakers or boxing shoes, so this is not my area of expertise, however, I had faith that this was my moment to shine & make the best out of it!

I had 5 scenes:
Flower Scene, where I wore a plain black above knee black dress while really focusing on featuring the beautiful flower arrangements...I came out & smiled, smelled the flowers & took the moment in...It was flawless & I could hear & feel the crowd's support!

Vintage Scene (my favorite & pictured above), I wore a thigh high, sapphire blue velvet dress with a yellow silk belt & blue/flower print shoes..I loved the dress & my energy was crazy high & I became the crowd favorite after this dress!

Cocktail Scene, I wore a gorgeous White & Black Bustier with elegant black pants & a beautiful pair of crazy high black lacy heels accompanied by a very sophisticated mini flowered handbag. Totally wowed the crowd with this outfit..Big Bonus: Did not trip or fall in the super high heels!

Lingerie Scene, To my surprise, I was very comfortable in this baby doll sheer black night gown that was definitely a crowd pleaser.

Finale Scene, In this scene the producer assigns you back to a dress they feel was the one you looked the best in & that for me was the "vintage dress" so I got back in my velvet thigh high Sapphire blue dress & finished my runway debut with a KO!

Talking about Facing you Fears & Living your Dreams...In this particular fashion show, each of the models had the entire runway for themselves each time we went out to model a specific scene/outfit. The minute we walked off the runway, we had to sprint backstage & had "dressers" undress & dress us for the next scene!! OMG! Another first for me!! It was about letting go & putting your trust in someone else...I took every moment and had a blast! I am so grateful for having the opportunity & look forward to doing it again soon. This was all filmed & hope to have the video & pictures soon, so stay tuned!

In closing, I just needed to say that Courage is a wonderful phenomenon! Anyone can possess it indeed and it is an everlasting feeling grown from a tender and loving seed. Courage is standing up for yourself when everyone is tearing you apart and living the best life possible and doing so with all your heart. I Thank God for giving me the courage to keep fighting for everything I believe in...

"Faith calls my name in my most trying moments & is my most trusted companion that never leaves me," Patty Boom Boom
Much Love,

Patty Boom Boom
www.patriciaalcivar.com

Facing Obstacles & Overcoming them...

It is said that "Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers." We are sometimes put in situations that bring out the best in us to make us realize our potential and what we are made of. In my case, this is 100% true and I truly believe that I turn my wounds into wisdom and strength because of my faith.

After my pro debut last year in October, I got an awful case of bed bugs from the hotel I stayed in for that bout. That required me to be on a very destructive medicine called prednazone for 3 weeks which once again jeopardized my health taking me almost 3 months to recover from. Waking up for my daily runs, traveling 3+ hrs for my boxing training, and getting my conditioning workouts in were extremely challenging to say the least. Waking up tired & feeling fatigued before the workouts and having my menstrual cycle every 7-10 days had me feeling extra weak. It was frustrating and tested my patience in every way. I practically willed myself to do the things I truly love & with enough faith, patience & the help of natural/homeopathic medicine, I have made a slow, but amazing recovery...

After much preparation, I was set to have my 2nd professional fight on January 16th in Macon, GA. My trainer, Terri Moss & I showed up at the weigh-ins the night before & were shocked to find out that my opponent just did not show up. As devastating as this was, I was comforted by the fact that I knew in my heart that this was happening for a good reason and that it would take much more than that to break my spirit and faith. Terri Moss had a great plan to do a light mitt exhibition during intermission and address the crowd to let them know that I was there to fight. That is exactly what we did & it was an awesome experience! We stole the show and made the best out of that situation!

The difficulties of life are intended to make us better, not bitter..Adversities are part of life and they usually bring with them big lessons for us to learn, grow and shape up as an individual.

After a storm, there is always sunshine & in this case, I was overwhelmed with the support I have received from the Hispanic community. This week the largest Spanish Newspaper in Atlanta, "Mundo Hispanico" & Charlotte, "Mi Gente," decided to do a nice article on me:

http://www.mundohispanico.com/noticias/content/deportes/articulos/2010/01/21/012110_articulo1.html

TRANSLATED VERSION: http://babelfish.yahoo.com/translate_url?doit=done&tt=url&intl=1&fr=bf-home&trurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mundohispanico.com%2Fnoticias%2Fcontent%2Fdeportes%2Farticulos%2F2010%2F01%2F21%2F012110_articulo1.html&lp=es_en&btnTrUrl=Translate

http://migenteweb.com/news.php?nid=7297&pag=0

Translated version: http://babelfish.yahoo.com/translate_url?doit=done&tt=url&intl=1&fr=bf-home&trurl=http%3A%2F%2Fmigenteweb.com%2Fnews.php%3Fnid%3D7297%26pag%3D0&lp=es_en&btnTrUrl=Translate

As I refocus my attention on my next bout on Thursday, January 28th, I am reminded that determination, patience and courage are the only things needed to improve any situation. I am so ready for my next challenge!!

In closing, I leave you with another great poem that has had quite an impact on my life...I "lost" what I thought was a really good friend, but realized that she came into my life for a Good Reason & the lesson was taught & it was time to move on and for that, I am grateful....

People always come into your life for a reason, a season and a lifetime. When you figure out which it is, you know exactly what to do.

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed outwardly or inwardly. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, or to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or even spiritually. They may seem like a godsend to you, and they are. They are there for a reason,you need them to be. Then, without any wrong doing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die, Sometimes they just walk away. Sometimes they act up or out and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and it is now time to move on.

When people come into your life for a SEASON, it is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They may bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season. And like Spring turns to Summer and Summer to Fall, the season eventually ends.

LIFETIME, relationships teach you a lifetime of lessons; those things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person/people (anyway);, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas in your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

Much Love,
Patricia "Patty Boom Boom" Alcivar
www.patriciaalcivar.com

Starting 2010 with a "Boom"

We are already 11 days into 2010 and already it has been a blessing to say the least..In case you have not heard, I was very humbled to learn that I was named "2009Woman of the Year"
http://shetakesontheworld.net/2009/12/women-of-the-year-2009-presented-by-she-takes-on-the-world.html
One of the reasons I was given this honor was for being a fighter inside and outside of the ring and I once again, I was very thankful for this award.

Preparing for my upcoming bout/s in January & February has not been easy. From the unbelievably & unusual cold winter in the mountains, injuries and other extremely difficult obstacles, it really has taken Faith, Will Power, and Determination to keep pushing forward. The big secret in life is that there is no big secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you're willing to work.

Each and every day I wake up, I am grateful for everything I have in my life including my energy...Energy is the essence of life. Every day you decide how you're going to use it by knowing what you want and what it takes to reach that goal, and by maintaining focus.

I know the challenges in my life are all for a good reason. Life is the most patient teacher. I/You will be presented with the same experience over and over until you learn the best way to deal with the situation.. This is not because life is cruel. Rather, it is because things have a way of coming back to haunt us when we don't deal with them. One form of intelligence is the ability to learn from mistakes. When you are presented with a painful experience, take the time to think about how you can avoid it in the future. This is an example of a lesson learned.

So that being said, I look forward to continuing to be a fighter inside & outside of the ring, learning new lessons, and continuing to make 2010 a "Boom!"...I am off to a great start!

I leave you with a quote I live by on a daily basis given to me by an awesome mentor:

Now I am the voice
I will lead, not follow
I will believe, not doubt
I will create, not destroy
I am a force for good
I am a leader
Defy the odds
Set a new standard
Step up!

Much Love & Blessings,
Patty Boom Boom
"Face Your Fears, Live Your Dreams"
www.patriciaalcivar.com

http://www.womenboxing.com/NEWS2010/news010309alcivar.htm

http://www.womenboxing.com/NEWS2010/news010309alcivar.htm