2/29/2008 12:08:00 PM Even the champ is laid low by water crisis The daily strains of life provide unwanted distractions for Teresa Perozzi
Teresa Perozzi spars with trainer Charlie Romano at Forty Rego’s gym. On March 15 she’ll meet Russian Natascha Ragosina in Germany with seven boxing titles on the line. *Photos by Ras Mykkal
Teresa Perozzi said: “It’s tough sometimes to keep believing in yourself but there have been more ups than downs.”
In part two of our continuing series Perozzi/Ragosina 24/7 the champ talks about working on knockout strategies with coach Charlie Romano, the mental pressure of constant training and how Bermuda's water crisis is affecting her attempts to get some much needed relaxation.
There's just two weeks now till the big fight and Perozzi is starting to feel the mental strain of her near constant training.
She can handle the sparring, the circuits, the early morning runs at Horseshoe Beach. But the pressure of juggling work, family and training is starting to take its toll.
It's been made worse this week by the island's water crisis.
"I can't even get a bath at home right now because we have water problems."
She's anxious to get the Dancing with the Stars competition out the way tomorrow and get on the plane to New Jersey, where she will conclude the final ten days of her training with her coach Charlie Romano.
"From the second I wake up at 5:45am each day I'm in training mode, then I'm in mom mode, then training mode again, then I have to get into work mode. I'm giving massages and I have to make sure I'm not passing on any negative energy to my clients.
"Then it's mum mode or dancing mode again, then boxing mode, then I have to try and remember to feed myself and stuff like that.
"This has to be the craziest thing I've ever done. I feel I can do this. I love it, I just don't want to burn myself out.
"I need to get through this week and when I get to New Jersey it will be different - all I'll have to worry about is boxing.
"I'll be able to take a whirlpool or get a massage when I'm not training, instead of giving them."
The New Jersey portion of her training schedule will give Perozzi access to more sparring partners, better equipment and better coaching than she has ever had before.
"The facilities there are just amazing. I'll be working in a 20-foot ring, which is what I need.
"It's going to be the best training I have ever had and I'll be in peak condition right when I go to Germany."
The training can be frustrating and there are times when she feels she is trying to squeeze year's worth of coaching into a few weeks.
"You have to be so focused all the time, it's unbelievable. We're working on some things with my technique and some knockout strategies. I know I have the power but its about using my power more productively and being in condition to do that for 10 rounds.
"It's tough sometimes to keep believing in yourself but there have been more ups than downs."
One real upside this week was a couple of corporate sponsors came through to help her bid for glory.
Perozzi - despite being a world champion - has always struggled for financial assistance and it was a major shot in the arm for her this week when Dunkley's Dairy and MEF restaurant chain stepped up to help cover the costs of her training.
In fact, she thinks the support she has had for this fight is the best of her career.
"The sponsorship is a big boost and takes a lot of pressure off me financially. It feels like for this fight I've had the most support I can remember - my trainer, my manager, my fitness and conditioning coach and now with this sponsorship. It seems like everything is heading in my direction to win. "The opponents are getting tougher but looking at what I did with no support it will be interesting to see what I can achieve with all this behind me."
