I met Kemal Kolenovic when I first started boxing at the Omni Health and Fitness Gym in Pelham when I was 19. He had just started his pro career... He used to tell me to stop boxing because I'm a woman and that it's a dangerous sport.... He told me this on various occasions. And when I would retort, he would simply shrug his shoulders and say ok...

Then one day I remember he came to the gym with a broken arm. I asked him what happened. He told me he got into a fight. We then started to talk. During that conversation I got to know Kemal. He was destructive in the ring but a thinker and a gentleman outside of it. He seemed to have a lot of anger inside of him (similar to myself), and he was diverting it into his boxing. This was great….

I would often see him after that throughout my amateur and pro career. I would share with him what I have been doing and he would do the same…. A few weeks ago in Gleasons' Gym , when I was preparing for my recent victory on Broadway Boxing and Kemal was preparing for his recent KO victory against Ronny Glover .. I remember he had a smile from ear to ear…Kemal knew I had just fought in San Antonio, and he came up to me and said, "I heard you won. Congratulations, I am happy for you. You are doing good and working hard". WOW! That meant so much to me, especially coming from him. Mainly because I felt that I had finally won his respect as a fighter, he always had mine.....

Being a woman in this sport wasn’t easy but knowing boxers like Kemal Kolenovic, Elvir Muriqui, David Telesco and Luis Rosado, who I would train around when I first found this sport, really helped motivate me. Whether they knew it or not, they were my role models in boxing at that time…

Kemal never gave up on his dream. Boxing has lost a great prospect and person… But his spirit will live on and I know I will take him in the ring with me every time I fight. Thank you, Kemal for always coming over to say hello to me and for those most recent words of encouragement. You will not be forgotten!!  Much love and respect Always,  Maureen

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