Sports

Champ's Fitness Foray Fights the Fat

Lisa Santisteban started kickboxing for a simple goal — to lose weight. More than a year later and 110 pounds lost, the Meadowmere Park native stands crowned as the heavyweight kickboxing champion of New York after her first, and only, official fight.

For Santisteban, 25, learning the martial arts has been a life-changing experience, and she said she hopes other women will see that losing weight can be done without “pills and surgery.”

“I’ve learned so much — that’s what I love about martial arts. I learn something every single day,” she said. “I’m not just a fighter. It’s really something special to me.”

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The Lawrence High School graduate said her weight got out of control while away at college. She had been athletic in high school, playing volleyball and softball, but the college life caught up with her and her weight climbed to 300 pounds.

“It was really unhealthy and I wanted a change,” said Santisteban, who teaches middle school English. “I wanted to lose weight to prolong my life and have children.”

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She started exercising at a gym, and one of her personal trainers suggested she try kickboxing. It was love at first punch. Santisteban started training every day, leading to her rousing weight loss of 110 pounds in about 11 months.

Santisteban — who had never been in a fight to that point — sought competition, but there aren’t many women who compete in her weight division. At her first scheduled bout, Santisteban’s opponent backed out. Her coach said another competitor was available — Lolly Berardi, then the PKF (Professional Kickboxing Federation) heavyweight champion in New York.

After three rounds, Santisteban came out on top by decision.

“The amount of pressure and physical exertion was a lot,” she said, adding that all she remembers is her arm being raised.

Santisteban’s fitness battle continues, as she seeks to drop more pounds to compete in the middleweight division. She recently became vegan (no animal byproducts) in what she calls an “epic battle.”

Her affinity for teaching also reached her love of martial arts. Santisteban shared her confidence with female students during an after-school self-defense class at Mott Hall Bridges Academy in Brownsville, where she worked the past year. She also works as a personal trainer and hopes to train other fighters.

“To be an all-around good fighter you have to be trained in all the sports,” Santisteban said. “So much to learn, so little time.”

The 25 year old will be defending her belt on Friday in a rematch against Berardi, the former champion. Seventeen fights are scheduled at the Deer Park Sons of Italy. Doors open at 7:15 p.m. The headline bout will be MMA fighter Jesse McBroom versus Luis De Jesus.


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