(JULY 17) WBAN received an opportunity to interview Cristy Terherst (Nickel), to talk with her about her recent appearance on MADE, a program that is televised on MTV.  The show was a success and has been televised many times.

WBAN:  When did you find out that you were chosen to be featured in the show?

CT: After several weeks of doing many phone interviews, sending in three audition tapes and filling out reems of paperwork, I found out the first or second week in March that I was chosen to be her coach.

WBAN:  How long did it take to shoot the show?

CT: MTV was very strict with the rules of only having six weeks of training before her (the 18 year old Cristy was training) match. So I trained her for exactly six weeks. But there were a few delays and it ended up taking about 8 weeks total, but still 6 weeks of actual training. Takes a lot to put on a show like this but MTV wanted to keep everything on the "up" and not give the MADE kid any kind of "edge" because that wouldn't be real then. We had over 300 hours of filming.

WBAN:  How challenging was it for you to work with the 18 year old Yazmin in getting her prepared to fight an amateur bout?

CT: It was EXTREMELY CHALLENGING because Yazmin is smart, funny and beautiful but she was one of the laziest people I've ever met!!! She whined, moaned, groaned and complained the whole time. She laughed constantly and lost focus every 5 minutes. I was used to working with kids and adults who not only had real talent but who wanted MORE THAN ANYTHING to box and fight and they would go through fire to do it. But Yazmin treated boxing like it was a joke. She was not athletic or coordinated. So the entire six weeks,  I had to stay on her like white on rice! I couldn't let up for one second. It was hard. I thought many times that I had bit off more than I could chew taking on this job. But Yazmin did a 180 degree turn and made me more proud than I have ever been.

WBAN:  How do you think this training you provided for her on MTV has affected Yazmin?

CT: The whole MADE experience changed Yazmin's life. I forced her to buckle down and commit to training even though she wanted to quit. I forced her to have respect for boxing and all the athletes who do it. But more importantly, I forced her to push through the pain, blood, sweat, tears and face her fears so that when she meets a challenge in life, she'll remember MADE and have confidence that she can get through whatever it is she's up against. Because--we all know it--if you can get through a fight, you can do ANYTHING. Plus, she lost weight, toned up and got healthier.

WBAN: Has this show opened up any other opportunities for you?

CT:  YES!

WBAN:   If so, what are you going to do, that has been offered to you?

CT: Because of my work on MADE, I was offered a job training clients at a high-end boxing gym in Manhattan called "Trinity Boxing Club NYC" owned by Martin Snow. I love it here. I work from 6 AM to 9 PM. Long days, but very rewarding. I've also been approached to do athletic modeling and I've been contacted to do another reality show about boxing. I've got people who see me on the subway or a restaurant and say, "HEY! Aren't you that fighter who trained that girl for MTV?" I'm always shocked when someone recognizes me. I think it's the hair! What I would really like is to have a chance to audition with ESPN as a commentator for women's boxing matches. My dream job. Teddy Atlas--call me! We could be great together! "Cristy Code Red--The Voice of Women's Boxing." Sounds good, uh?

WBAN:  Any words of advice to young women who may decide they want to box?

CT: I get this question all the time, especially since the show aired. I get young girls who come in with this new dream of being a boxer. I always tell them that it's a lot of HARD work and takes a BIG commitment.  I also strongly discourage someone from doing what I did--turn pro without any amateur experience. Go through the amateur program if you can! If you insist on turning pro, make sure you have GREAT people backing you up--a great trainer, manager and promoter who have your best interests in mind. I've been in situations where my best interests weren't in the heart of my crew and it cost me dearly.

My special thanks to SUE FOX for believing in me when I could hardly believe in myself. This sport will wear on you and many a night, I have emailed Sue for her advice, support and opinions and she has always gotten back to me with an honest answer whether I liked it or not. Thank you, TOM MORAETES, for stepping up my boxing skills, teaching me how to be a great coach, and learning to love roadwork. Last, thank you BRIAN YOUNG with Prize Fight Promotions, for putting me on all those cards and paying me well. There are many other people you could have asked and I'm grateful you gave me the chances to fight on your cards.