Amelia Nelson (284)
Staff Writer

In early September, Central’s Italian teacher Ms. Walker received an interesting email. A world-renowned Italian kickboxing activist was looking for a Philadelphia school to give a presentation at, and the Italian consulate thought Central High School could be the perfect place.

A couple weeks later on September 12th, Central’s Italian and third period P.E. classes gathered in the gym to hear from Gloria Peritore, Italian kickboxer and anti-violence advocate. The 35-year-old world champion spoke about the Shadow Project: her social promotional association to increase accessibility to combat sports and highlight their physical and psychological benefits. She believes that sports can be helpful in “managing fears and regaining confidence” as well as instilling “respect and equality” in all. She also discussed #FIGHTTHEVIOLENCE, a non-profit branch of the program that specifically focuses on gender equality in and out of the sport.

Peritore’s presentation resonated with her audience on many levels. IB Italian student Natalie Margasak (284) gained a lot of respect for both the athlete and the sport after hearing about the “emotional courage” it took to start kickboxing and the “emotional resilience” it has given Peritore. P.E. student Rachel Speizman (285) also agreed. Hearing Peritore parallel bravery in sports to real life “empowered” her. This is one of the athlete’s goals; Peritore was previously in an abusive relationship, and through kickboxing, she wants to help others in situations similar to hers know that they can break free. While Natalie didn’t agree that women learning kickboxing would directly reduce domestic violence rates, she did gain a new appreciation for combat sports.

Afterwards, Natalie and Rachel both expressed their potential interest in trying out kickboxing. Natalie thought that fighting, especially in front of an audience, would be fun, and Rachel imagined that doing combat sports in gym class would be a healthy and engaging way to be competitive while safely “unleash[ing] stress.”

The President of Central’s Martial Arts Club (MAC) Lixin Wu (285) believes in the power of combat sports as well. For him, martial arts were a way to overcome physical insecurities, and through his practice, he became mentally and emotionally stronger. As president of MAC, he would “love to give people more confidence and make sure they’re able to defend themselves.” The club meets weekly to discuss and teach martial arts and is open to all. Like Peritore, he also connected sports to anti-violence. He believes that martial arts could help people learn to physically and verbally stand up for themselves against bullying.

Another important point that Peritore brought up was gender inequality. She has observed through experience that many women “fight twice, once in the ring and again [with] the stereotypes that come from athletic success as a woman.” In the sports industry, women often face social stigma, lack of representation, and lower quality resources. It is not surprising then, that according to the Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF), girls have 1.3 million fewer opportunities to play high school sports than boys. Sports can have many health benefits, but girls have to fight twice as hard for them. After hearing the presentation, Natalie, who has participated in Central’s Cross Country team for all four years, articulated that “we should keep this in mind when celebrating the victories of our girls’ teams.”

Overall, whether it was through highlighting the benefits of combat sports, raising awareness about gender inequality, or letting students try out kickboxing in a demo, Gloria Peritore definitely inspired Central students!