Toronto Newsgirls Boxing Club

The first all-female and trans-positive boxing club in Canada, The Toronto Newsgirls Boxing Club has been kicking butt in Leslieville since 2006. Run by coach Savoy "Kapow" Howe, the gym offers introductory boxing classes, one-on-one coaching sessions, early morning boot camps, and a free "Shape Your Life" programs for survivors of physical violence.

The name “Newsgirls” pays homage to Coach Kapow’s training past; she started boxing at The Toronto Newsboys Boxing Club in 1992. Having experienced the male-dominated realm of boxing firsthand, Savoy wanted to create an inclusive space where female boxers could feel comfortable training.

“What I noticed is that when women are in a space with men some women get very small in their bodies,” Savoy explains. “Then when I had my classes just for the women all of a sudden women were getting very big in their bodies and taking up space.”

As a gym, the mission of The Toronto Newsgirls to provide a safe and positive space for women and trans-people to explore the sport. Amateurs and more experienced fighters train side-by-side on the large array of equipment available, such as weight machines, yoga matts, treadmill, rowing machine, and selection of free-weights and resistance bands. Classes can be taken at your own pace and there is never any pressure to get into the ring. “When I tell people that they can participate in boxing without ever getting punched in the head their shoulders relax and then they come to the gym,” Savoy notes. “There are so many myths that keep people, especially women, out of boxing gyms.”