Australian Alopecia Areata Foundation’s sponsorship program has given me the wonderful opportunity to pursue something I was keen on trying for an awfully long time, that being boxing. I have been so grateful for this experience so far, as having been diagnosed with alopecia along with other health issues, boxing has been a great stress relief for me and has had a positive impact on my overall health and well-being thus far. The first session was as expected; I was totally unprepared and totally unfit for what was to come. Although just starting off with the basics, I would soon learn how physically, and mentally challenging boxing could be even if it was just training on the pads for the most part.
Each session that would pass would become slightly more intense than before, but my form would also grow to match the increasing intensity and combinations that I would learn each week. Every session would also end with strength and conditioning exercises which would include sit-ups, pushups, planking, squatting and burpees which would leave me absolutely exhausted.
I have learnt so much in this time while boxing, even my trainer Faisal wished he had taken a video of me when I first started to see and compare how far I have come on my journey. Both my fitness, power and overall skill have improved dramatically in my time so far. Each session left me red in the face and dripping in sweat which in turn actually benefited my skin as well, which both Faisal and a few of my friends attribute to me sweating and detoxing out toxins through my pores.
It is also exciting to note the extremely positive progression in my hair regrowth during this time. At the start of my tenure in boxing, I was still relatively bald and still unsure of what direction my alopecia would head in. But through consistent visits to the dermatologist, following a regime of the medication I was given as well as steroid injections every 2 months, I can happily say I am back at around 95% full hair regrowth with my dermatologist even insisting I stop the medication altogether. With this regime along with my boxing training and gym workouts, I can confidently say it all had a significant impact on improving my health and giving me remission of my alopecia.
My appreciation for being selected by AAAF is enormous and this will be an experience I will never forget.
Love, Alopecia 
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