Hi. If you’re reading this. Welcome to Button Adventures. Thank you SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE!
My name is Lita Mae “Badass” Button. The CEO of Button Adventures. I gained the nickname “Badass” through years of boxing fighting, and training. With 45 Amateur Fights. The first light welterweight Golden Gloves Champion of Canada. The co main event on the first all female professional boxing event in Gatineau Quebec. While also finishing a degree with a BsCN in nursing, completing a number of fitness certifications, and becoming an entrepreneur. I did all of this while being a single parent raising my son, with a lifelong medical condition, called Hemophilia.
I’m not telling you this to impress you, but to PRESS UPON you that when you want to follow and reach your dreams its POSSIBLE!
TRUST ME WHEN I SAY THERE HAVE BEEN A TON LIKE A TON OF OBSTACLES ALONG THE WAY. Because of my journey, and the obstacles I have overcome, I LOVE LIFE, COACHING, and EMPOWERING OTHERS FROM THE INSIDE OUT!
Our cells are where the lasting changes to our life come from. I am a coach that goes deep for lasting transformational changes, such as a quality of life in helping reverse disease. I have been coaching this weekly for the last 6.5 years with my group of Parkinson’s.
However, none of this I could have done without the guidance and wisdom of coaches who have believed in me. It all began at the age of 24 for me.
My son was diagnosed with severe Hemophilia B. I was already a first time, soul support parent trying to figure out this whole parenting thing. Then the diagnosis happened. Oh man. Was I in shock. I already felt like a fish out of water in life. Trying to fight for oxygen to survive, to keep things together for the two of us. Then it felt like I was sucker punched. You see, Hemophilia is typically a genetic condition passed down through the family genes. Specifically on the mothers side. My mothers family has no history of hemophilia. So you can see why the sucker punch.
After the shock, I WAS ANGRY! FRUSTRATED! EXTREMELY UPSET with what life had thrown at us! I began drinking too much to cope with my emotions. Not realizing that I was just stuffing them down. Instead of needing to do the work to deal with them. Those emotions erupted one night out with friends in Barrie, Ontario. I had previous kung fu, kick boxing training and fights from the age of 18-20yrs old. That night in Barrie, after bar hoping, three girls became confrontational with me over a cab. All I remember is BEING PISSED OFF. I had done nothing wrong, and here they where getting in my face. I reacted. I punched the one girl, took the other girl, grabbed her head and kneed her, while coming back up and elbowing the last girl. Needless to say. They left in the cab, not liking the confrontation they had started. Even though I WAS RAGING WITH ANGER. I also became extremely scared after my adrenaline had calmed down. What a stupid thing I had done. With my background in fighting, and training. If a cop had been around, and they decided to press charges. What would happen to my son? I am the only one he has to rely on consistently. I knew something drastically needed to change with my life.
I got my butt back into the gym. A kick boxing gym. I didn’t see any hope in fighting kickboxing, because back in the late 90’s early 2000’s. Amateur fights in the amateur sport of kickboxing where illegal in the province of Ontario.
In the same gym I trained kickboxing. The local Boxing Club, trained the same evenings as the kick boxers. That group was led by the coach, Scott Eccles. This is where a pivotal moment in my life happened.
Boxing coaches, are always looking for fighters to train, to fight. It’s an instinct, passion, and drive coaches just do without even realizing it. Scott approached me and asked about my previous fight experience. Then he asked me if I wanted to have the opportunity to fight in boxing, without all the illegal B.S that was happening in kickboxing at the time. Having been in competitive sports, a lot of my life. I was thrilled with him asking. I immediately threw myself into learning the art of pugilism. Scotty, coached me on a deep psychological level. He would often go over books he had read and the take aways for your life.
The two biggest take aways he gave me where: 1. ALWAYS SHOOT for THE MOON. SET YOUR GOALS HIGH. Because no matter what, even if you don’t fully reach them. You have stretched yourself farther, then you may have ever thought possible. 2. OPTIMISM, and ATTITUDE is EVERYTHING with setbacks. Even in the face of losses. Scotty, always came into the gym with such energy, passion, and enthusiasm to lead, and encourage all of us to do, and BE OUR BEST.
There was one tournament when I was being coached by Scott, that he wasn’t able to go to. I was eager to go.
Experience with fights is a KEY to PROGRESS, and opportunities in the amateurs. Jill Perry from Beaver Boxing Club out of Ottawa, graciously let me register under them.
Jill Perry always had wisdom and coaching knowledge to pass on. She knew it was one of the first bigger tournaments I had attended. She said, “you see all these people and coaches. She goes they will all have a lot to say. Just remember, TAKE THE BEST, and LEAVE THE REST!”
After I was done University for Nursing in Peterborough. I was ready to move on with my life, this included working in nursing, and training with boxing.
When I was 28, I moved to Toronto, for my final nursing placement. I began training with the boxing club, Atlas. I was coached full time by Adriane Teodorescu. For those of you that are reading this and are not familiar with Coach Adriane. He was a major game changer, and medal winner for amateur boxing in Canada. Adriane came from Romania with a PhD in boxing, with the experience of over 400 amateur boxing fights. He helped, and coached Canada’s famous olympians to medal: Chris Johnson (Bronze 1992 Olympics), Egarton Marcus (Silver 1988), and Canada’s most famous and successful boxer; Lennex Lewis (Gold 1988).
I soaked up so much of Coach’s knowledge. The first tournament I went to with Adriane, I lost to a decision. I was very upset. However, in his Romanian accent and boxing wisdom. He goes, “Lita, Rome was not built in a day”. Adriane was a true technical practitioner of boxing. His analysis and application of the science of boxing, always
fascinated me. To this day, technique comes first! He taught me that practise doesn’t make perfect, perfect practise makes perfect. Coach, had so much knowledge and experience that he shared in many many many colourful stories. His coaching, guidance, and insights always came with a cool, calm and caring touch. All of us fighters, coaches, and boxing enthusiasts loved Adriane. Sadly in November 2016 he passed away of lymphoma. WE ALL Miss him so much.
In 2011, while I was nursing and in life transition. I was coached by Archie Luz. Archie is like a brother, and father figure to me. A heart of gold, and selfless giver. A real life beast, who looks like a Filipino prince charming. However don’t let that fool you. He is a master of the art Kali, and military guns. If you have seen the movie Jason Bourne, that is EASILY Archie. He taught me that your power, is YOUR POWER! If you’re a WOMAN, NEVER LET ANYONE TAKE
THAT POWER FROM YOU. A woman who is powerful, is to be admired and put up on a pedestal. When you’re a woman who has experienced trauma from men in your life, having coach like that in your corner, you always FEEL SAFE.
I knew that I wanted to turn my amateur career into a professional one. This is the point where my number one boss comes into my story of coaching. RYAN GRANT. Known first as RG!!!!!! In my opinion he’s the best coach on this planet. If you ask all his fighters, they’d say the same thing RG is all of the coaches I have ever known all rolled into ONE. Except he does it all with STYLE and Pizzaz.
RG’s that guy you see, and you immediately love, and want to be. Because he’s ALWAYS COOL. He never needs to prove anything, because HE IS THE WHOLE PACKAGE.
A coach with experience, knowledge, fun, handwork, dedication. Who knows what you’re at, even when you think he doesn’t!
RG was a real game changer for my fighting style, and mentality. From 2011 to 2020 I trained with RG out of Grants MMA and Boxing in Toronto. Each and everyday I think about him, and what all the pro’s are up to out of that gym. We worked hard. We played. We cheered. We yelled. We sang. We analyzed every aspect of Boxing, and MMA. Like a tight nit family who has fun first and foremost.
You have to prove yourself to RG. It’s not that he isn’t going to look out for you as his fighter, but he has so many athletes and professionals that always want to work with him. Unless
you’re really hungry to work and focus. He’s not going to waste his precious years of experience and time putting his energy into you.
You see, RG grew up in, and around the sport of boxing. Watching his brothers Otis and Grant succeed in the professional sport of boxing. RG had a number of amateur fights, but had to retire from fighting, due to injuries. RG’s that guy that unless you’re in the professional world of boxing, you are most likely not familiar with who he is. But watching all the Canadian Televised fights, he’s in many fighters corner’s.
He loves boxing, and his athletes to the core. ALWAYS thinking about our futures outside of fighting. Its why he is always YELLING, DEFENCE!!!! He goes you want to remember your FIGHTS. DEFENCE is #1!
Hard work and dedication. Without a dedicated work ethic, you will not WIN! Attention to detail. First details in the technique. Practice that attention to detail, start slow and small, then build on that. Keep revisiting that attention to detail though! That means, DEFENSIVELY first. Offensively second. Then do it again, again, again, and AGAIN! UNTIL YOU GET IT!!! One summer getting ready for my pro debut, he had me do 10 mins straight of sparring. Until I did what he wanted me to do. Remember, sparring rounds are only two to three minutes in length.
Team work makes the dream work. Your teammates and coaches are there to help you succeed. Support one another. Leave your EGO AT THE DOOR. There is no place for an inflated ego with his gym. We are all teammates each time we step into his gym. PLAY. Yes. Even though Fighting is a hurt game. When the pressure and training camp is most intense, is often when it’s best to PLAY and HAVE FUN!
Having fun is how we are able to combine all the years of training and skills into a state of flow. In the world of psychology, research, and performance, the state of flow is has been shown where athletes and masters of their craft often do their best.
Yet, RG has a background with being a DJ and entertainment. So everything he does in the gym day in and day out is done with stories that have FLARE and LAUGHTER. It shows in his fighters styles. Plus it comes back to the FUN and FLOW aspect of learning.
After years of training, and implementing these key aspects of coaching into my daily life. I love that I can look back, and look forward, helping others with the world class level of coaching and knowledge that I have experienced.
What to do now? If you found this blog helpful. Please like and share. Looking for help with your health and fitness goals. If you’re You can sign up for my email list and book a 1-1 Complimentary 30min Transformational Coaching Clarity Session here Value of ($175).
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