"There is an inner beauty about a woman who believes in herself, who knows she is capable of anything she puts her mind to, has the strength to follow her path, isn't stopped by obstacles and knows she can fall, pick herself up and keep going."

President’s Letter

To All STRIKING BEAUTIES Fans and Friends,

I love boxing. I love the power I feel as I hit the heavy bag. I love the sound of the leather glove smacking the bag. I love the rhythm of punching, the speed and intensity of throwing crosses and ducking from jabs. I love the challenge of the last 30 seconds in a round.  I love the focus and determination that it demands of me. I love the sweat and exhaustion that overcomes me as I punch, shuffle, slip and block. And I love the confidence and strength that I walk out of the gym with after a workout.

After falling in love with boxing, I did a lot of research and found that there were few, if any, women’s boxing gyms. Yet there were women throughout the world who loved boxing. Women who had experienced the exhilaration and empowerment but had not found a ring of their own. I read blogs from women in NYC, Australia and China….where women asked one another “Hey, where can I box and not feel out of place?” “Where can I box that’s not my boyfriend’s gym?” “Where can I get an authentic fighter’s workout and not some cardio-box or aerobic-style class?” ”Where can I go to box with other women, in a comfortable atmosphere while still getting the training of a professional boxer?” And the answers were always the same……”There isn’t any place!”

So, I created STRIKING BEAUTIES in response to all the women searching for a ring of their own as well as those women who had yet to the experience the effect of boxing. I designed STRIKING BEAUTIES to provide women of all ages and fitness levels with a pretty, stylish yet hardcore studio where they could take their first step into the ring without feeling intimidated!

Boxing is not only the #1 calorie burning exercise (cite President’s Council on Sports and Fitness study), it is the training regimen of the world’s best conditioned athletes. This high intensity workout burns fat, builds muscle tone, increases endurance and sharpens mental skills. Even more than the physical benefits, boxing infuses you with an incredible sense of accomplishment, inner strength and self-confidence that no other workout comes close to providing!

I created STRIKING BEAUTIES to share the boxing experience with all women. But something else happened. On its own, STRIKING BEAUTIES created itself. What started as just a female boxing gym grew into a supportive community of women. SB developed into a place where women encourage one another, challenge one another and empower one another. Where women network, hold each other’s babies and exchange business cards. This is the part of SB that I never envisioned; it just emerged on its own. Yet it has become the defining characteristic of our innovative gym.

STRIKING BEAUTIES has become the symbol of women who want to “do something for themselves”, who “want to feel stronger and more confidant” and who end up “walking out of the gym saying…yeah, I can do this!”  These women are married mothers of triplets, divorced mothers of teenagers and single mothers of infants. They are single young professionals, corporate executives, veterans of war and students. They are women in their 40s, 30s, 20s and teens. These women have never exercised and they have run marathons. They are unemployed and are opening new businesses. These women have grown up in the projects and they live in posh neighborhoods. They drive motorcycles, pick-up trucks and Mercedes.

These are the faces of women’s boxing…these are the women of STRIKING BEAUTIES. I am so very thankful to, and proud to be a part of , all our STRIKING BEAUTIES!

Dena Paolino

Striking Beauties is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! We are located at 18 Church Street in North Attleboro, Massachusetts. Stop by for a visit or ring 508-699-5425. Franchises now available! Please call for details.