Bringing equality to female athletes around the world.
“Why are women’s divisions treated second rate at best?”
Maggie Messina often posed this question to herself as she competed in the 80’s. Her first competition was at the late GM SH Cho’s event in 1986 at Madison Square Garden. Her division was squished into the gym corner between the bleachers and bathroom. Women pay the same registration fee to compete. They also sacrifice the same amount of time and sweat during training but they don’t garner the same respect as the male competitors.
Experiencing this inequality was Messina’s inspiration for founding the Female Fighters Matter Too (FFM2) movement. FFM2 is an organization focused on creating opportunities for female athletes. Maggie is not new to advocating for female athletes either. Growing up in the 80’s in the foster care system, there were limited opportunities for Messina and other girls to participate in sports. Her desire to compete drove her forward and Messina landed positions on both the boy’s football and basketball school teams through sheer determination and willingness to play. This was a revolutionary move in the early 80’s, and helped pave the way for an expansion of girl’s sports in her school district. When she faced similar obstacles to women’s participation at martial arts tournaments, she knew she would be the one to overcome them.
Messina began the Female Fighters Matter Too movement at the Long Island Winter Open Martial Arts Championships, an event that she ran in New York for five consecutive years.
She made history there by making it the first event to award female grand champions double the prize earnings of any other division. She continued the momentum for female competitors by sponsoring other events all over the United States and internationally. She often donated money out of her own pocket to support the cause. The increased prize offers motivated female athletes to register for the events. This also raises expectations for promoters, pressuring them to provide more divisions for women to enter and win! Since then, Messina has constantly challenged tournament circuits, promoters, instructors, and competitors to join the movement so that this policy of equality becomes a lasting change to the sport karate industry. FFM2 has broken through the initial barriers, and the only way forward now is with the collaboration of the women and men that make up our sport.
Master Messina’s actions under the Female Fighters Matter Too movement have also launched a plethora of female focused events in the sport karate world.
This includes multiple training seminars and camps led by female champions for female students only. Due to Messina’s generous contributions, these events were even provided to the female athletes for free! Messina’s Female Fighters Matter Too campaign works to empower women outside of Sport Karate too. Messina has toured the country as an influential speaker, inspiring confidence in women and encouraging them to break through barriers that keep them from their life ambitions. Messina uses her own life example and accomplishments as a basis for proving that nothing can stop an individual with the perseverance to reach their dreams.
