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Ashley Hair of Mishawaka knows just how hard it is to break into boxing.
"Lot of blood, sweat and tears," says the 25-year-old welterweight, who has spent the last three years training. Herself. In the driveway of her apartment. Just hoping to catch a break.
"Without proper training,” she says, “it's hard to improve."
Ashley is in the gym four hours a day. On top of going to tech school. On top of being a single mom.
"The challenge of trying to juggle waking up early, getting Lukas ready for school, that happens at 8. Usually I was at the gym by 9 o'clock every day,” Ashley says. “And then I'd finish up and be home in time to pick him up from school by 3.
“It’s difficult sometimes."
Ashley's professional boxing experience consists of just one round.
That's all the time she needed to pummel her first-ever opponent into a technical knockout. But that was 15 months ago. And she hasn't fought since.
But now she's got a new manager, and another fight scheduled next month in New York. She’s hoping this is the big break that she -- and Lukas -- have been waiting and working for.
"I'm hoping the more I put myself out there to be seen,” she says, “anything I can do to get my face out there as far as boxing goes is beneficial."
And anything she can do to somebody else's face will certainly be beneficial too.