Where are you originally from?
My mom is Mexican and my father is Irish. I grew up in the Bronx. Dad is an ex-Marine and a retired cop, but Mom was an airline ticket agent, and regularly got us free tickets to Mexico. She took me home to visit, to submerge me in the Spanish language. I thank Mom every day for that, though I refused to speak it as a child. I was a pain in the butt.
I experienced a lot in Mexico; kids would be a little vicious. Because of my accent, they really couldn’t tell where I was from — but knew I was from the States. They called me a witch. This taught me a lot. I also have wonderful memories of Mexico. It’s unfortunate that this racism I endured exists anywhere in the world.
My dad, being a retired Irish cop, let me learn the hard way. If I was out after curfew, Dad locked the door, then I’d sit in the backyard for the rest of the night. He practiced tough-love. And I marched to my own drummer, still do.
When you were a kid, did you think you’d grow up to become a boxer?
No — I didn’t know what boxing was. I was an athlete, and an award-winning fife player, but wasn’t dedicated to anything. The first time I encountered boxing was at a friend’s house, Mike Tyson was fighting Evander Holyfield on television. Tyson bit off Holyfield’s ear. I was 14, and fascinated. What kind of sport would someone go to this extremity for, I wondered?
Maureen, what’s your schedule like?
In the morning I’m usually up at 4:45 a.m. for a 4½ mile run. Then I eat, take a bus and three different trains (1½ hours) from the Bronx to Brooklyn.
At Gleason’s Gym, under the watchful eye of my trainer Hector Roca, I’ll spar a minimum of six rounds, complete shadow boxing (six rounds), and jump rope. Then I take the train again and relax at home.
How many days to you train like this?
It’s a full-time job: it’s six days of training. Two days a week I go to Scarsdale where I meet with two other trainers for strength and conditioning, plyometrics, calisthenics, speed and agility development.
How did you come to be a vegetarian?
My nutritionist is Robert Ferguson, and he is also a vegetarian. I’ve been a vegetarian for seven months. My body went this way after I had my gallbladder out. It just doesn’t want red meat. I ate fish, chicken, and eggs. Slowly, I began steering away from turkey and chicken; and incorporated soy proteins. My digestion is better, my thinking is better, and I’m calmer, stronger, and lighter. It’s also easier to make weight. I’m not cutting calories though. Last month I went completely vegan, I don’t eat anything with a heartbeat.
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