Tori Nelson may have hung up the gloves professionally, but she’s still in the fight.
In person, this 5’6”,43-year-old mother of two who doesn’t appear to tip the scales at 150 dripping wet, doesn’t seem the type to hit you in the face. Yet, in the span of a 20-year career, she’s won 11 world championship boxing titles, claiming world titles in three different weight classes (WBC female middleweight title in 2011: the WIBA middleweight title in 2012; the WIBA welterweight from 2013 to 2014; and the WIBA super middleweight title in 2016.) Undefeated in 17 fights before bigger girls half her age came along, she adopted the rule, “If you want to be the best, you’ve got to fight the best. That’s all there is to it.”
Her other mantra? “You gotta suck it up and keep moving.” Life wasn’t easy for Tori, but as a single mother with two kids and three jobs to make ends meet, she still made it to the gym. Her natural competitiveness made quitting perhaps the toughest thing she’s ever done. “It’s very hard. God gave me this talent for a reason as a platform. My fight song was ‘God in Me’ and all my clothes were royal colors.” Then her kids said, “Mom, it’s about time.”
Tori says her next chapter is to help women know how important it is to take care of themselves and stay in shape. “They have to realize not to get caught up in taking care of their family and losing themselves.” Women often complain that they don’t have time to work out, but they have time to run the kids to their activities, and then too often sit in the car or read a book. “Get out and walk. Go get a massage. Get your nails done, even once a month. You take care of you and then you can take care of everyone else.”
Another hard-learned lesson is not to let yourself be defined by past failures or tough times. “I’m looking forward to spreading God’s word. I’m looking forward to speaking to people and letting them know that the past is the past. Your past doesn’t make who you are. That’s not your future. My past was a bad past, but my future is way better.”
She adds, “Whenever I feel the devil coming I know my God is much stronger. My grandmother used to tell me all the time, ‘When you’re down and the devil is working against you, girl, you gotta push because your blessing is right there on the other side. And that blessing is way better than that struggle you’re going through.’ I believe it, because He’s shown it to me over and over. He’s made my enemies my footstool. For most of them, I’m the only one that beat them, and it’s just killing ‘em.” Then she throws back her head and laughs and says, “Isn’t that bad?”
No ma'am. Just what we needed to hear.
If you'd like to ask Tori to speak to your group, contact Glen Wooten, Events & Marketing, 703-840-2099.