From Pacifist To Boxer: How Emma Hooker Lost 120 Pounds and Kept Moving Forward

At just 12 years old, Emma Hooker was diagnosed with the autoimmune disorder vasculitis, resulting in severe bleeding in her kidneys and lungs. The Ontario-based pre-teen was immediately ordered to undergo treatment including heavy medications and chemotherapy, which caused her to gain 150 pounds. 

Her condition appeared so unexpectedly and her mental and physical health declined so rapidly that she could no longer see hope for the future. She could barely stand on her feet for two hours at her part-time job at the grocery store without being in severe pain due to the weight she was carrying. Her career dream of becoming a nurse died. 

Years passed, and while she made many attempts to lose the weight, it was breaking her foot in September 2020 that caused Emma to fully commit to her weight loss journey. After breaking her foot, she began working out on her own, incorporating amateur boxing and fitness competitions into her workout regime. (Full disclosure: during this period, I actually bumped gloves with her in the ring). 

Eleven months later and 120 pounds lighter, Emma’s doctor reported that her vasculitis was in full remission. Now 25, Emma has lost and maintained a total of 160 pounds, and has established a thriving career as an Instagram influencer, bringing her message of fighting against the odds to others to help inspire and motivate them. 

We spoke to Emma to learn more about her journey.

Tell us about your weight gain, and how that made you feel as you were fighting for your life?

While I was doing chemo, I was also on prednisone. With prednisone, your appetite's through the roof. 

It was a huge shock to see my body change that quickly. The bigger I got, the more hopeless I felt and the farther I felt from my dreams. 

Let’s talk about how you decided to incorporate amateur boxing as part of your weight loss journey. How did a broken foot lead to boxing?

When I broke my foot, I was too heavy to hold myself up on crutches, so I had to do everyday activities using an electric scooter. It was embarrassing because I was still in my early twenties using something meant for older people. It had been an 8 year struggle with my weight: I finally just had had enough. It was what made me realize just how low my quality of life actually was.

I started out by walking and doing very light weight lifting and HIIT workouts in my basement. 

A friend also invited me over to work out with her. One day she suggested incorporating a minute of punching the heavy bag into our workout. The endorphins were flowing and I loved it. Then my best friend referred me to a trainer she used to work with who was really into boxing. 

When I started working with him, I really started to see change in my mental and physical health.  I trained with him six days a week. Everybody always asks me: “How do you stay motivated?” I say: “I found something that I actually like to do.”

I was thinking: this is my time. All these months, these years of pain have led to this.

What were your first fights like? What’s it like going from pacifist to boxer?

So insane: the fear, the adrenaline, the anxiety, the excitement. I was thinking: this is my time. All these months, these years of pain have led to this. I was facing every doubt, fear, and self-limiting belief that I had. Every voice that told me I was not good enough. It was more about fighting back against everything I had been through and not necessarily about my opponent. 

What are some of the lessons you learned from boxing that you feel have been most helpful in approaching weight loss or your general sense of wellness? 

Boxing taught me that I can look at everything I'm going through and know it's a fight but I'm going to grow stronger from it. Also you have to be willing to keep taking hits and keep moving forward. When I was sick, I wasn’t doing anything to prevent further weight gain or mental health struggles. I just kept taking ‘hits’ and staying down.

Tell us about your Instagram, and what message you’re trying to get out there. Do you feel like you’re helping people by sharing your story? If so, can you give us specifics?

It's a lifeline I've created to try to help people feel less lost, alone, or trapped in their circumstances. 

The message that I'm trying to get across is that mental and physical transformation is possible no matter where you're currently at. I get dozens of comments every day from people telling me I’ve inspired them to start their weight loss journey, or they lost “X” amount of weight because of me.

I started boxing when I was 300 pounds.  Our bodies are powerful, they're resilient, and they're capable of so many things...

‍What’s something you wish people knew/thought about their bodies, regardless of their size or their overall health?

I wish that people would not wait to do what they want before they lose weight. I started boxing when I was 300 pounds.  Our bodies are powerful, they're resilient, and they're capable of so many things that I don't think we always give them credit for.

We live in a society that tells us that we need to look a certain way or be a certain size to be valuable, but our body is already amazing just as it is.

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