I n celebration of International Women’s Day 2019, take a few minutes today to meet the women of the FDNY Bravest Boxing Team. Shout out to Firefighters Nicole Malpeso, Hildany Santana and Vanessa Schoening for using their athletic talents to represent our Department with distinction. These awesome ladies will also be boxing to raise money for Building Homes for Heroes at the Beast of the East at Madison Square Garden on March 15. The three will join their fellow FDNY fighters to face off against police and firefighters from Boston to Baltimore at the competition, which kicks-off at The Garden’s Hulu Theater at 7:30 p.m. Read more about this charity event here.
Firefighter Nicole Malpeso
“Being on this team is the same as being in a firehouse. We’re all on the same team, supporting one another, getting close and learning to trust each other. I do this because I love it, I’ve been boxing since I was a kid. It’s a great way to stay in shape for the job and an awesome way to give back to those who did so much for us.”
Firefighter Hildany Santana
“I started boxing about two years ago. I wanted to try something new and I thought I would give it a shot. It’s a great way to stay fit for the job and we get to fight for a good cause.”
Firefighter Vanessa Schoening
“I started boxing about two years ago. I wanted to try something new and I thought I would give it a shot. It’s a great way to stay fit for the job and we get to fight for a good cause. I remember when I first started in the Air Force, we did volunteer work. One of the first things I did was remodel a house for a wounded veteran who made it back home, but wasn’t quite the same as when they had left. We made their house functional for them and it felt great to give back. I started boxing a couple years ago and it is a very humbling sport. I love it and I love the events, but truly I love that I’m continuing to help wounded veterans and able to give them something when they return home after putting their lives on the line to protect our freedom.”
