Meet Christy Martin, the boxer who inspired Sydney Sweeney’s new film
Martin was a pioneering female boxer in the 1990s, but her personal life was complicated – Sydney Sweeney will bring her story to life in the biopic Christy
The gripping film delves into the remarkable true story of Martin’s rise to fame as a trailblazer in women’s boxing – as well as the dark moment in 2010 when her husband attempted to kill her.
In the first official stills, Sweeney is nearly unrecognisable, fully embodying Martin while wearing a white tracksuit, mouthguard and red boxing gloves, complemented by the former boxer’s signature dark, curly hair and sculpted arms.
To portray Martin, Sweeney gained over 13.5kg and endured three and a half months of gruelling training. In an interview with W Magazine, she shared: “My body was completely different. I didn’t fit in any of my clothes. I’m usually a size 23 in jeans, and I was wearing a size 27. My boobs got bigger. And my butt got huge. It was crazy!”
But who exactly is Christy Martin, the pioneering female boxer Sweeney portrays in the new film?
She’s a coal miner’s daughter
Born in Mullens, West Virginia, Martin, 57, grew up in a coal-mining family, with a father, grandfather and brother working in mining. She played Little League baseball and excelled in basketball in high school, eventually earning a basketball scholarship to Concord College in West Virginia.
On a dare from her friends, Martin competed in a West Virginia Toughman contest in 1987, in the first year women were allowed to compete. Despite having no experience, she won her fight, reported The New York Times.
She’s a groundbreaking figure in women’s boxing
After that initial fight, reports E! News, Christy was approached by a promoter and began competing in other tournaments. In 1991, she moved to Bristol, Tennessee, to begin training and competing professionally. It was here that she met coach Jim Martin while training at his gym. Jim would eventually become Christy’s trainer – and husband.