Isis Sio: “What happened is part of my story, but it’s not going to become my whole story.”
Life is very different now for Isis Sio. At just 19, Sio has a completely different perspective on life.
Sio was placed in a medically induced coma following a first-round stoppage defeat to the unbeaten Jocelyn Camarillo in March. There were initial and understandable early concerns, but the 19-year-old American is thankfully on the road to recovery.
“Honestly, I’m really good,” Sio told FightPost. “I feel like I’m in a completely different place in my life now. Moving to Vegas became a new beginning for me in way more ways than one. I left a relationship, some people and a lot of things behind that I knew I had outgrown. It was a big change, but I think I needed it more than I even realised at the time. Right now I’m just enjoying this new chapter, figuring out what makes me happy and actually enjoying my life.”
“None at all,” Sio replied when I asked if she had any symptoms from what happened in March in California. “I feel 100% like myself, if not better. I know people are naturally going to wonder about that after what happened. But there isn’t anything I’m secretly dealing with behind closed doors. I feel normal. I feel good. I feel like me.
“Obviously, I know how serious everything was, and I’m extremely grateful to be able to say that because I know things could have turned out very differently. What happened is part of my story, but it’s not going to become my whole story.”
The aforementioned move to Las Vegas has seen Sio continue her recovery and a return to training. “I’ve been boxing, doing strength and conditioning and just working on getting stronger and sharper. I’m enjoying training again without feeling like everything I do has to immediately lead to something. I can work on things, learn and just enjoy being in the gym. Vegas is such a boxing city too. There are so many different fighters, trainers and styles around you, so there’s always something you can pick up and learn from.”
“I honestly think I needed the change of scenery as much personally as I did for boxing,” Sio added. “I’ve always been someone who will fight to make something work. That’s great in the ring, but I’ve learned it isn’t always great in life. I stayed in certain situations and around certain people longer than I should have because walking away felt too much like giving up. I don’t look at it that way anymore.
“Sometimes walking away is choosing yourself. I finally did that, and I think it was one of the best things I could have done for myself. Vegas feels like a clean slate. I get to decide what this chapter looks like.”
It was a difficult question to ask. Probably an insensitive one. Does Isis Sio want to fight again? Can she fight again?
“Of course there’s a part of me that wants to fight again,” Sio relayed to me. “I love boxing, and what happened didn’t suddenly take that love or that fire away from me. But wanting to fight again and knowing exactly what my future looks like are two different things. I’ve been given a second chance at life, and that changes the way you look at everything. So, yes, the desire is still there. Whether I actually step into that ring again, I think I’ll leave that between me and God for now.”
“I’ve been cleared by specialists,” Sio added. That was something I needed to know for myself before I could even think about what came next. I went through what I needed to go through, and medically I have my answer.
At this point, it really comes down to what God has planned for me. This whole experience showed me pretty quickly that I can make all the plans I want, and life can change overnight. So I’m trusting Him with whatever comes next.”
What happened in March hasn’t dampened her feelings on her sport. “I still love boxing,” Sio says. “That never changed. But I definitely have a different respect for it now. Every fighter knows boxing is dangerous, but knowing that and actually experiencing how serious those risks can be are two very different things.
“As fighters, we’re so used to being told to push through everything. Something hurts, keep going. You’re exhausted, keep going. You get knocked down, get back up. There’s a lot I love about that mentality, but I’ve also learned being tough and taking care of yourself aren’t opposites. I understand what fighters really put on the line when we step through those ropes in a way I probably couldn’t have understood before.”
“Completely,” Sio added when I asked if she now has a different perspective on life. “I’m only 19, turning 20 in December, and sometimes I swear I feel about 40 with some of the things I’ve already experienced. Everything I went through made me realise, really young, that I don’t want to waste my life being unhappy or worrying about things that really don’t matter.
“I want to travel. I want to laugh. I want my family and the people who mean the world to me around me. I want to fall ridiculously in love. I want kids someday. I want random adventures and memories that have absolutely nothing to do with boxing.
“I’ve also been told I’m basically a toddler and an old lady combined because I love my naps, so apparently I already take relaxing very seriously. More than anything, I just want to actually live my life instead of always worrying about what comes next.”
Isis Sio is lucky. She knows that. But that is a good thing. The story could have been very different. Life goes on. That’s the important part of the story. The happy part. Sio is only looking ahead. And not back.
“I have a lot of plans,” Sio said of her future. But I don’t feel like I need to tell everybody all of them anymore. I’m building a new life for myself in Vegas. I’m experiencing new things.”
