NewsChannel5.com | Nashville News, Weather & SportsNashville Woman Receives Olympic Torch Award

Nashville Woman Receives Olympic Torch Award

by Heather Graf

Nashville, Tenn. - A boxing instructor from Nashville was recently honored for her role in a different kind of fight. This one involves gender equality and the Olympic Games.

Christy Halbert accepted the Olympic Torch Award last month in Colorado.  It's an annual honor that seeks to recognize an individual who has made a positive impact on the Olympic Movement  in the United States.

"I was excited, I mean it's a big deal, I think, for an advocate to be recognized, because most of the time advocates just work behind the scenes and our reward is social change," said Halbert.

The change she's credited with making will affect female boxers all over the world.  Her efforts began back in 2006.

"I guess I realized at that time that women were not, they didn't have a lot of opportunities in Olympic-style boxing," she said.

The truth is that female boxers had no Olympic opportunities.  Boxing has been an Olympic sport since 1904, but women have never been allowed to compete.

"I feel like sports should be open to everyone," said Halbert.  "So in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 I began working with a few other people around the world to try to get women's boxing into the 2012 Olympics in London."

In late 2009, Halbert learned her persistence had paid off.

"So in 2012 will be the first Olympic games where women are present in all sports.  That's huge, because being in the Olympics gives legitimacy to the pursuit of athletics," she said.

Then a few weeks ago, Halbert learned she'd been chosen as a recipient of the Olympic Torch Award.

It's a victory she's able to share with boxing students, past and present.

"I've gotten a lot of positive feedback from people I'd coached previously and who knew about the work I was doing," she said.  "It was also to me a great sign that the Olympics Committee supports women's boxing and supports women in all sports."

The Olympic Torch Award is considered prestigious.  Past winners include Bud Greenspan and President Gerald Ford.

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