Chennai’s ‘Lady Muhammad Ali’ left punching against all odds

Helen, unsurprisingly, is overwhelmed by the moniker. “That was given to me in my formative years as a boxer. I used to watch a lot of videos featuring Ali and gradually developed my style around how he played. My footwork used to be lightning fast, like him, and that’s where I got it from,” she proudly said from the sidelines of the Super Boxing League in New Delhi.

The pugilist’s advent into the sport was in an unusual manner. “The first time I ever saw a boxing match was in 2000, when I was 12 years old. My sister was participating and when she was adjudged the loser, I felt otherwise. When I ran up to the officials and questioned, I was asked to take up the sport to understand to have a right to question. Without second thoughts, I signed up for boxing classes the next day,” Helen said.

The next year saw Helen on a trip to the national capital for an all-India YMCA tournament and it proved to be a game changer. “My coach told me that the entire pride of the state is in my hands and that touched deep in my heart. It was at that moment I took a decision not to turn back and keep moving ahead in the sport,” she reminisced.

In 2002, things took a turn for the worse. Helen had to run away from home over a family dispute. A failed marriage didn’t help either and soon she was struggling to make ends meet. Helen took up odd jobs in petrol bunks or eateries and even slept on the beach or at railway stations. “It was a tough period in my life but whenever I fell down, I told myself to move on as I had only myself to rely on,” she said.

She became tougher and started building her own boxing world and more often the sport was her only solace. The year 2008 was the best as she even challenged then three-time World Champion Mary Kom in a bout. “I was ranked third in the country and had around 30 medals to my credit. I was scheduled to play Mary in the first round of the senior nationals and had her twice on the mat with my steady punches. But she being the World Champion, came back stronger but it gave me enough confidence to pull through after seeing her struggle to get up a fight,” Helen said.

Just as luck would have it, in 2011, Helen found herself starving for support from the state association to make further strides. “This was the only state where we had four boxing associations and I was running from pillar to post to get some recognition and support. I was even demanded for unreasonable favours and that sent me into a shocker and I took up a forced exile from the sport,” she said.

In early 2017, six years after she quit professional boxing, her senior Sathya induced a fresh lease of life in Helen by asking her to enrol into Mixed Martial Arts in Bengaluru. Helen discovered her boxing touch to be intact when she brushed aside her first round opponent in a mere nine seconds in her first MMA tournament. “Yes, it just took nine seconds. I landed four punches and even before anyone could realise, I was adjudged the winner. I then realised I had everything in me to make it count and I am hoping my second stint in the sport would be longer and more fruitful,” she added.

Just as the great Muhammad Ali said, ‘Don’t count the days, make the days count’ Helen is determined to make it count for the second time.