Xavier’s Morrow gets her kicks

CEDAR RAPIDS - After an 'awful” start, Xavier sophomore Allie Morrow has found her reward.

'It is so rewarding when you find yourself able to do things you didn't think possible,” Morrow said about her kickboxing experience at Farrell's Extreme Bodyshaping.

'Kickboxing is a mental and physical sport in which you use gloves and your feet to punch and kick a target,” she said.

Morrow began kickboxing last summer when she started her 10-week program.

'My first class was awful,” she said. 'I was way more out of shape than I had thought and could barely keep up.”

Morrow was immediately presented with a strict kickboxing diet.

'There is a nutritional plan of six small meals a day consisting of one lean protein and one carb,” she said. 'I had to sacrifice some of the foods I really enjoy.”

As she progressed, Morrow found herself enjoying the program. She attended classes every day, except Sundays. Morrow developed her favorite moves, the roundhouse kick and back-fists.

'Anything with a roundhouse is fun for me,” Morrow said.

She improved not only her physical stamina, but also her mental toughness.

'For me, it's a challenge,” Morrow said. 'It's difficult and a lot of work, but I do it for myself to help strengthen me mentally and physically. It's also a really good defense training.”

She was eventually able to use a purple band (a high difficulty level) for an entire resistance training class.

Morrow's hard work paid off when she was completed her 10 weeks and became a FIT member. At the end, she compared her results and saw significant improvement.

'At the beginning of my 10 weeks, I was only able to do 27 push-ups in a minute, but after 10 weeks I was able to do 49 push-ups in a minute,” she said.

Morrow elected to continue her kickboxing career as a FIT member, and she still trains today.

'Becoming a FIT member was my best moment as a kickboxer,” she said.