Stepping into the boxing ring is always a welcome break from a busy schedule for Calgary entrepreneur Margot Micallef.
“I just get really focused,” she said. “It’s almost like meditation.”
Her training sessions at Impact Boxing with coach Luis Raposo aren’t about training for a fight, but a way to focus on fitness, and refocus on her next business opportunity.
It’s a way of life that began decades ago during her college days, when she was dreaming up a new venture with her sister.
“Crocheted bathing suits were really popular then,” Micallef recalled, “and we saw my grandmother crocheting in the corner and we had this idea: Why not hire people like granny, pay them to
crochet these bathing suits, and then hawk them to retailers?”
That ended up earning her enough money to cover part of the tuition for law school.
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After a few years of practicing law, Micallef became involved in a series of businesses.
“Broadcasting, publishing, real estate, ranching, food services and food manufacturing,” she said.
But alongside the successes came a struggle with a series of setbacks.
“My family was on social assistance, my sister passed away a number of years ago, and we were really close,” Micallef said. “My marriage broke down… So I’ve had my share of hardship.”
She’s sharing her story with a speech at St. Mary’s University annual President’s Dinner on International Women’s Day, Thursday March 8.
“All those hardships helped me learn gratitude; taking those hardships and turning them into opportunities.”
“She’s a very strong person,” boxing coach Raposo said. “Whatever she aims to do, she’s doing it.”
Micallef is hoping other women will take encouragement from her experiences.
“The challenging thing for women is that we’re really hard on ourselves,” Micallef said. “International Women’s Day should be about celebrating what we’ve accomplished.”
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