3 minute read
Hitting Hard for Autism
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by Warren Rosenberg
Professional boxer, Melissa St. Vil, the 135 pound North American Boxing Organization champion and former World Boxing Council Silver Super Featherweight champion scored another victory in her quest to bring attention to those with autism and other special needs. She is a proponent of changing public opinion about autism and has been quoted as saying, “I just wanted to show the world the beauty of autism and how amazing and smart somebody on the spectrum can be”.
Melissa won a unanimous decision against Calista Silgado on September 16th in her hometown of Brooklyn, NY. The 39 year old St. Vil is currently ranked #1 among American female boxers and #6 in the world by Box Rec. Her fight to change public opinion about autism has included a 2021 appearance on NBC’s American Ninja Warrior. Following her appearance, she posted on her social media pages, “the best part of being on American Ninja Warrior was representing for people on the spectrum & representing for people battling cancer. You all are the real CHAMPIONS & I’m in your corner”. Melissa trained for this fight under the guidance of coach Kevin Marston at the NYC Cops and Kids Boxing Gym in Flatbush Brooklyn.
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Above: (left) Melissa St Vil touching gloves with Kaylene Vazquez and (right) appearing on the cover of the Mar-Apr 2017 MetroSports issue Below: Melissa St. Vil in training with her coach Kevin Marston. Photos courtesy - Melissa St Vil
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Her introduction to learning about people with autism came through her working with Rafael Vazquez, a boxer who compiled a record of 16-3-0 and last fought in 2016. Vazquez’s daughter, Kaylene, was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder at the age of 4 months. When his wife passed away from cancer, Rafael had to retire from professional boxing to care for his daughter. At the time he was helping to train Brooklyn boxer Melissa St. Vil and on the first occasion she met Kaylene, she fell in love with her. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, “Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. People with ASD may behave, communicate, interact, and learn in ways that are different from most other people. There is often nothing about how they look that sets them apart from other people. The abilities of people with ASD can vary significantly. For example, some people with ASD may have advanced conversation skills whereas others may be nonverbal. Some people with ASD need a lot of
help in their daily lives; others can work and live with little to no support.
ASD begins before the age of 3 years and can last throughout a person’s life, although symptoms may improve over time. Some children show ASD symptoms within the first 12 months of life. In others, symptoms may not show up until 24 months of age or later. Some children with ASD gain new skills and meet developmental milestones until around 18 to 24 months of age, and then they stop gaining new skills or lose the skills they once had.” As Melissa told MetroSports Magazine, “that was the beginning for me of learning about people being on the spectrum and, by being around Kaylene, I learned more about how she sees the world.” On her social media pages she has posted, “it’s about representing for all the amazing people like Kaylene living on the spectrum & to look at their capabilities and not just the disability. I believe in her & I go hard for her so I thank God for bringing her to me.” In fact, in her win this past week, Kaylene’s name was on the Champ’s boxing gloves which were created by Rival Boxing Gear.
Facing page: Melissa St Vil posing with some of the young people she is fighting to support. Above: Melissa getting a kiss on the cheek from Gleason’s Boxing Gym owner, Bruce Silverglade. Photos courtesy - Melissa St Vil
