Christy Halbert, Ph.D., director and head coach of Nashville’s Boxing Resource Center will be the head coach of the Women’s Team USA at the Pan Am Games in Argentina.
Halbert has coached a variety of national champions and was also head coach of the first-ever Women’s World Championship in 2001.
“It is an honor to represent the United States in this competition. I think Team USA has a good chance of winning a team medal, and the boxers who train in here in Nashville work on domestic and international strategies throughout the year,” Halbert said. “The PanAms will be a great place for them to showcase their talent.”
Halbert’s life partner, Chalene Helmuth, Ph.D., who serves as community liaison for the Boxing Resource Center, said “Christy has been intent on creating a new reality for women boxers for over a dozen years. It’s gratifying to see her dream coming true.”
Team USA consists of 13 boxers from all over the U.S. and will report to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs on May 14 to participate in a two-week training camp with Halbert, before they all depart for Argentina.
The team was selected from among the gold medal winners at the recent U.S. Nationals held in Colorado Springs.
Caroline Barry and Cheryl Houlihan, two of Boxing Resource Center’s boxers, won the gold and will be representing the USA in the 110 and 132-pound weight classes.
“We are proud that four women from our gym make it to the finals at the US Championships,” Halbert said. “Angel Bovee and Teresa O’Toole won silver medals, and Carrie and Cheryl won golds. All our boxers performed well, and represented Nashville well.”
“We wanted to provide a place where all athletes, especially women, could be taken seriously and have a top-notch place to train” Halbert explained. “Nothing like this exists in the country. We are dedicated to providing a safe space for all, regardless of gender, religion, fitness level, size, age, race or sexual orientation.”