She has held multiple world championships in three weight classes, including the undisputed female light middleweight title since March 2021; the undisputed female middleweight title from 2019 to 2020; and the unified WBC and IBF female super middleweight titles from 2017 to 2018.
She is the only boxer in history, female or male, to hold all four major world titles in boxing—WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO—simultaneously, in two weight classes.
Have you ever asked yourself what it takes to become a champion? To be the next Zharkov and Olga or the future Yulia and Ricardo? Think about that for a few seconds. About what this undertaking truly means and what this challenging quest entails. What steps should you follow? What does and don’ts should pave the way? What possibilities will arise and what impossible tasks will you meet? All the answers come down to one very important fact: champions are not born, they are made.
And this is what a C.H.A.M.P.I.O.N is made of:
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C – COMMITMENT
“Attitude is the librarian of the past, the speaker of your present and the prophet of your future.” (John Maxwell).
It takes a distinguished and powerful character and a great deal of courage to whole-heartedly commit yourself to the dance life and, even more, to the creation and becoming of a champion. This is what an unwavering commitment is about. When you are determined to do something, there’s no turning back. It becomes your responsibility. And you’ll need to hold yourself accountable to every single action you do or don’t do, every single time, day-in and day-out, throughout your career path. It’s a pact your past self has signed with your future self. And there is much solemnity, loyalty and honor in this oath. Daily, this oath must be to activate your commitment to become the champion of your dreams.
How committed are you?
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H – HUNGER
“Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.” (Oprah Winfrey)
Hungry is stronger than passionate. It’s an insatiable quest for a life of your choice and a future of your creation. It’s much more than a want, it’s a physical and mental need that comes bursting from within. It’s more than an emotional passion; it’s an emotional, physical and intellectual experience altogether, so much it is akin to pure obsession.
This eagerness for dance, for progress, for greatness, is what will keep you going through the inevitabilities of the ups and downs of life. Without it, the foundation will be fragile and the construct will crumble and fall. With it, however, you’ll find within you enough power to move mountains.
How hungry are you?
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A – ACTION
“Personal power is the ability to take action.” (Anthony Robbins)
You can dream of greatness and pretend you live by it for as long as you like, you’ll stay in the illusion of progress. The one and only way to achieve anything, both in dance and in life, is by taking action. Make a plan, follow it and adjust it. Ask for advice and apply it. Search for opportunities then grab them by the horns. Train more and harder. Create new habits and let go of bad ones. Do your planks, work your basics…
Action verbs are full of possibilities; they keep the blood flowing through the body of your dreams. It all boils down to whether or not you are taking action. And this requires presence and focus, or your efforts will fall through. So don’t mistake movement with progress: the former is busy but stagnant, the latter is efficient and result oriented.
How are you taking action?
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M – MINDSET
“The greatest story of living lies not in never falling. But in rising every time we fall.” (Nelson Mandela)
The path to success is filled with failures and roadblocks, with seemingly insurmountable difficulties and moments of deep and strong doubts. It’s tough. It’s rough. And it’s exactly how it is supposed to be. The sooner you accept that and nurture the muscles of your mental strength, the more powerful and less affected by life and dance misfortunes you will be.
More often than not, you will not nail that step or that choreography from the first try. If you believe that this doesn’t make you good enough of a dancer, you’ll be slowed down by every challenge, so much you’ll eventually feel blocked. The alternative is the belief in the value of hard work and practice. This is what makes the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset.
How strong is your mindset?
P – PERSEVERANCE
“Grit is having stamina. Grit is sticking with your future, day-in, day-out. Not just for the week, not just for the month but for years. And working really hard to make that future a reality.” (Angela Lee Duckworth)
If you’re committed and hungry, you take action and you have a powerful mindset, all this will automatically speak of your passion-driven ability to pursue your goals in face of the worst odds. Perseverance takes you to the end of the finish line, to the end of that practice session and to the end of that competition. It takes you to your goal, that of becoming the champion of your dreams. Angela Lee Duckworth, researcher and psychologist, calls it “grit” and grit is what makes the difference between amateurism and mastery. It’s about courage, endurance and excellence in achieving your goals.
Do you have that indomitable grit?
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I – INTENTION
“Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into visible.” (Anthony Robbins)
A life without goals might be enjoyable in its extreme lightness at first, but it will become unbearable as one explores its lack of meaning. In the same way, dancing can be fun and engaging when starting out, but the more you dive in and commit, the higher the need for objectives: yearly goals, monthly goals, daily goals, result-driven goals. But if an intention is driven towards the future, it remains deeply rooted in the present and in your presence. You should include it everywhere: in your planning, during your practice, with your partner and throughout your performance. Intention acts like a filter; it hones your focus and directs it. And by removing the noise, it refines the message you are sending through your dance.
What is your intention?
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O – OPPORTUNITIES
“Only those who risk going too far can possibly know how far one can go.” (T.S. Eliot)
Life is full of them, if you know how and where to look. You can find opportunities between the lines of your plan, in your team, with the help of your partner and in collaboration with your coach, through your community, online and offline, traditionally or through innovative means, etc.
“Impossible” simply doesn’t exist in a champion’s dictionary. A champion sees opportunities where others see difficulties, like a challenging choreography or a highly competitive International Open. When most meet the end of a road, only a few create new paths. And the same obstacle that might knock someone down can inspire another, may it be a failure at a competition or illness in the family. In the same time, great leaders need to be realistic: opportunities are not dreams, they are real actions taken within a context.
What opportunities are your grabbing?
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N – NO’S
“I stopped pretending to myself that I was anything other than I was, and began diverting my energy into finishing the only work that mattered to me.” (J.K. Rowling)
A champion knows when to say “yes” to an opportunity and when to say “no” to a hindrance, whatever that is. It could be a party on a practice night. It could be a new pair of normal shoes because dance shoes are more of a priority on a limited budget. It could be negative thoughts that weigh you down. But it could also be something extremely positive, like a fantastic job offer that is not aligned with your dance career.
So, learn to say “NO” to tempting things, to events and sometimes even to friends. Most importantly, say “NO” to what brings you down, for commitment to a life of excellence requires you to choose excellence on a daily basis. And this means sacrifice. The word seems like a burden, but when your priorities are clear and your motivation is high, it will appear much lighter. It will clear the way from the unimportant and thereby offer more space to what really matters.
Commitment, hunger, action, mindset, perseverance, intention, opportunities and no’s: that’s what a C.H.A.M.P.I.O.N is made of. There is no doubt that the path is difficult, but at the end of the day, it’s all worth it if it matters to you. You have to be willing and eager to go all the way.
Happy Birthday Scottish tennis player and three time grand slam tournament winner Andy Murray.
Born in Glasgow on May 15, 1987, to Judy and William Murray, Andrew Barron Murray grew up in Dunblane and began playing tennis at age 3. A former competitive tennis player, Judy coached Andy and his older brother, Jamie, in their early years.
In March 1996, while 8-year-old Murray was sitting in his classroom at Dunblane Primary School, an armed man by the name of Thomas Hamilton entered the facility and shot and killed 17 people — 16 students and one teacher — before committing suicide by turning the gun on himself. During the horrible event, Murray ran and hid in his headmaster’s office.
Murray scored a major youth championship when he won Florida’s Orange Bowl in his age group in 1999. In 2004, he became the world’s No. 1 junior after winning the U.S. Open junior title. Later that year, he was named the BBC’s “Young Sports Personality of the Year.”
Shortly after becoming the youngest player to compete in the Davis Cup for Britain. Murray made his professional debut in April 2005. In 2006, with new coach Brad Gilbert, Murray beat top-ranked Roger Federer in Round 2 of the Cincinnati Masters tournament. Also that year, he defeated Andy Roddick en route to winning the SAP Open for his first ATP title. In 2007, Murray claimed a second straight SAP Open and also won the St. Petersburg Open to break into the Top 10 rankings.
Murray emerged in the tennis spotlight when he defeated Spanish sensation Rafael Nadal to reach the final of the 2008 U.S. Open, before losing to Federer. He ascended to No. 2 in the world in 2009, and finished runner-up at the Australian Open in both 2010 and 2011.
In 2012, Murray made it to the Wimbledon final for the first time with his semifinal win over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Murray’s victory made Scotland proud — he was the first tennis pro from Great Britain to reach the Wimbledon final since 1938. However, Murray lost in the final to Federer, who claimed his seventh Wimbledon win.
Andy avenged his Wimbledon loss at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, held in London, where he beat Federer to take his first Olympic gold medal. That September, he continued to burn up the courts with an impressive run through the U.S. Open field. Murray scored an impressive victory over Novak Djokovic in a tough three sets to clinch his first Grand Slam title, becoming the first player from Great Britain since 1977 — and the first since 1936 — to win a Grand Slam singles tournament.
After losing to Djokovic at the 2013 Australian Open, Murray made history that summer by defeating the Serbian player to claim the Wimbledon men’s singles championship. He was the first British male to win the tournament in 77 years and the second Scottish-born player to win Wimbledon since Harold Mahony in 1896.
Murray underwent back surgery in September 2013 following his loss in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open. His performance was uneven for much of the 2014 season, though he made news by hiring former women’s champion Amelie Mauresmo to be his coach.
The Scot was seemingly was back on track when he reached his fourth Australian Open final in early 2015. That March, he scored career victory No. 500 while competing at the Miami Open.
Murray followed with an impressive run at the 2015 French Open, battling back from a two-set deficit in the semifinals before succumbing to Djokovic. A few weeks later, he reached the semifinals of Wimbledon, but his hopes of advancing were cut short by the ageless Federer. Murray’s subsequent fourth-round loss at the U.S. Open not only thwarted his last chance for a major title in 2015, it snapped his streak of 18 consecutive appearances in a Grand Slam quarterfinal.
Murray began the 2016 season on a strong note, advancing to the Australian Open final before suffering another loss to his nemesis, Djokovic. However, he gained some revenge by defeating Djokovic to claim the Italian Open in May and then sustained his high level of play through the French Open. With his semifinal win over defending champion Stan Wawrinka, Murray became the first British player to reach the French Open final since 1937. However, his bid to add another Slam title fell short when he wound up on the losing end of a blistering Djokovic onslaught once again.
In July 2016, Murray advanced to the semifinals at Wimbledon after defeating Jo Wilfried-Tsonga. In the final, he upended Milos Raonic, the first Canadian man to make it to the Wimbledon final, 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2). The victory was Murray’s third Grand Slam title.
The following month, Murray continued his sterling play by defeating Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro at the Rio Games, making him the first male tennis player to successfully defend his Olympic singles title.
Hampered by a lingering hip injury for much of 2017, Murray wound up withdrawing from the U.S. Open in late summer. He then underwent surgery the following January.
Murray returned to competitive tennis in June 2018 and was back in Grand Slam action at that year’s U.S. Open, but struggled to get into a groove post-operation.
Just before the start of the 2019 Australian Open, Murray announced that his hip was still bothering him and he would likely retire by the conclusion of Wimbledon that summer, if not sooner. However, after battling through a first-round match that ended in defeat, he suggested he may undergo another operation in an attempt to regain mobility on the court. He eventually had BHR surgery in January 2019.
Murray returned to the professional tennis scene in June 2019 competing in several tournaments including Queen’s Club Championships, Wimbledon, Canadian Open and Winston-Salem Open. Sadly he has never been able to fully capture the form that saw him sit at the number one spot for 41 weeks.
In April 2015, Murray married longtime girlfriend Kim Sears at Dunblane Cathedral in his hometown. They have s son and three daughters; the youngest of the girls was born in March 2021.
Murray is on the leadership team of Malaria No More UK, a charity that raises funds and awareness to save lives in Africa, and a global ambassador for the World Wildlife Fund.
Heading into 2017, he was knighted in the New Year Honours for services to tennis and charity.
