In My Vobyos - Annie O'Donnell

'IN MY VOBYOS' CELEBRATES WOMEN WHO LIVE OUR MOTTO, OWN YOUR FIGHT
Annie O'Donnell
"Boxing reminded me to embrace and love how strong I am."
TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF
HOW DID YOU COME TO BE IN NEW YORK?
"Despite being a California girl, both of my parents are from New York and I’ve always known that the east coast is where I wanted to establish roots (I know, you think I’m crazy for leaving that weather). It’s funny, I never saw living in New York as a part of my plan, but God has a sense of humour, especially when we have a “plan” for our life."I was offered a job within my previous company that I really wasn’t excited about, but it would get me to New York, so I took it. It ended up being an awful situation and I was miserable going to work everyday. After a year and a half there, I was let go last summer due to cost cutting. Rather than sulk and look at it as a bad thing, I took it as an opportunity to pursue my true passion, sports."In late November, after a lot of soul searching and mustering up the courage to go for it, I launched my own sports podcast, OD on Sports.I am the happiest I’ve ever been. Doing what I love in a city that I love and I’m so happy to call home. Everything happens for a reason."
TELL US MORE ABOUT OD ON SPORTS PODCAST!
"OD on Sports is my platform for putting out all of my thoughts and opinions on current events in sports and tips for navigating through the crazy, emotional, fun life of being a sports fan. Talking sports is my love language. It’s the way I create connections and establish relationships with people wherever I go. Living in four very different cities and markets of sports fans, I think I bring a well-rounded, opinionated and entertaining point of view to the table.
"One of the great things about the internet/social media is that it is a platform for anyone to showcase their talents and passions. You don’t need a journalism degree or a major network to get your ideas out into the world. I knew with every fiber in my being that this is my purpose and what God put me on Earth to do. I never saw appeal to being a sideline reporter or a moderator/host. I wanted to be contributing to the conversation with commentary and analysis. So I thought, why not start my own show?
"Being vulnerable and putting myself out there has always been challenging for me, but I knew I would have to overcome that to get to my dream. This was my chance to be fearless and authentically myself. It’s been about two months since I’ve launched and I’m loving every minute of it."
BOXING IS A FULL ON ADDICTION FOR YOU. HOW DID YOU GET INTO IT? WHAT DOES TRAINING LOOK LIKE?
"I always thought about trying boxing when I was living in Chicago, but never did because there wasn’t a gym close to me in the city. When I came to New York, I took a class at EverybodyFights, and I was hooked! I had never put on a pair of gloves in my life, so I started with technique classes. Being an athlete my whole life, it’s not easy for me to walk in and not be good at something immediately, but boxing was different than any other sport I had played. I had to be patient with myself, and consistently be in the gym practicing and learning.Photography: Guy Gabriel @guygabriel57
HOW HAS BOXING BENEFITED YOU BEYOND THE GYM?
"Is there a more satisfying sound than that loud snap you hear after you land a hard left hook?"
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