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Tribute to Fellow Boxer Kemal
Kolenovic
By Maureen Shea
January 2, 2007 |
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I met Kemal Kolenovic when I first
started boxing at the Omni Health and Fitness Gym in Pelham when I
was 19. He had just started his pro career... He used to tell me to
stop boxing because I'm a woman and that it's a dangerous sport....
He told me this on various occasions. And when I would retort, he
would simply shrug his shoulders and say ok...
Then one day I remember he came to the gym with a broken arm. I
asked him what happened. He told me he got into a fight. We then
started to talk. During that conversation I got to know Kemal. He
was destructive in the ring but a thinker and a gentleman outside of
it. He seemed to have a lot of anger inside of him (similar to
myself), and he was diverting it into his boxing. This was great….
I would often see him after that throughout my amateur and pro
career. I would share with him what I have been doing and he would
do the same…. A few weeks ago in Gleasons' Gym , when I was
preparing for my recent victory on Broadway Boxing and Kemal was
preparing for his recent KO victory against Ronny Glover .. I
remember he had a smile from ear to ear…Kemal knew I had just fought
in San Antonio, and he came up to me and said, "I heard you won.
Congratulations, I am happy for you. You are doing good and working
hard". WOW! That meant so much to me, especially coming from him.
Mainly because I felt that I had finally won his respect as a
fighter, he always had mine.....
Being a woman in this sport wasn’t easy but knowing boxers like
Kemal Kolenovic, Elvir Muriqui, David Telesco and Luis Rosado, who I
would train around when I first found this sport, really helped
motivate me. Whether they knew it or not, they were my role models
in boxing at that time…
Kemal never gave up on his dream. Boxing has lost a great prospect
and person… But his spirit will live on and I know I will take him
in the ring with me every time I fight. Thank you, Kemal for always
coming over to say hello to me and for those most recent words of
encouragement. You will not be forgotten!!
Much love and respect Always
Maureen
Photo: Kemal Kolenovic (left) with
his friend, and fellow Bronxite Elvir Muriqui, after a recent win.
Kolenovic was mowed down early Sunday morning by a hit-and-run
driver. PHOTO David Greene |
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