CATHY BROWN
Cathy was adopted at an early age and experienced all that comes with being placed in an orphanage and then within a family that wasn’t her own – feelings of not belonging, isolation, lack of self esteem, lack of confidence. All of which led to her entering into an abusive relationship at age 15 and which ended in her being the victim of violence, including rape. Cathy has experienced first-hand, how being mistreated as a woman leads to long term lack of self-belief as well as mental health problems.
Cathy started kick boxing to increase her confidence and soon noticed how empowered she felt, not because she was able to fight but more because the ability and know how, of releasing her anger helped her with her depression and anxiety. This, in turn, allowed her to become more confident to break the silence about what had happened to her and it all became a catalyst to helping her to heal and become physically and emotionally stronger. So motivated was Cathy by her newfound passion, that she gave up her career as a forensic photographer and obtained her professional boxing license
This was back in the late 1990s, a time when boxing still had a huge lack of draw for women and so Cathy faced obstacles from promoters, sponsors, gyms and even individual personal trainers. Cathy became even more determined, so driven was she in her goal to pave the way for women to enter this male dominated arena and she eventually ended up spending 10 years at the top of her game in the field of professional boxing. Cathy won English and European titles and was ranked Number 3 in the world from 2002 to 2007.
It was boxing as well as kick boxing! Cathy fought in over 25 kick boxing competitions between 1992 and 1996 and won two British titles.
In 2007 Cathy was forced to retire from boxing due to neural damage in her neck. Depression hit again, as everything Cathy had relied upon for her mental strength – which had come from mastering the ‘art’ of boxing and all that comes with that – had, she felt, been taken away from her.
Determined as ever, Cathy looked outside the boxing ring, so to speak and studied sport psychology and cognitive behavioural therapy [‘CBT’]. Cathy really wanted to understand how to improve and strengthen the mindset. She became a personal trainer and is often described as ‘The Soul Trainer’ – because she epitomizes the bringing together of mental and physical well being, using her unique combination of physical training and cognitive behavioral therapy to help other women who are struggling with anxiety, depression, anger, lack of confidence and self-esteem.
Cathy brings over 27 years of fighting experience and knowledge from her boxing competitions, as well as mental strength training, given her studies in psychology and CBT.