A pair of recent Jefferson Award recipients found themselves in a bit of a bind this winter after torrential rains flooded their Oakland gym over the holidays.
Now they’re hoping to turn the recent setback into something positive.
As a college English professor, Karin Spirn needed a hobby. When she discovered kickboxing, her whole world changed.
“It was so empowering. It built so much community, that it gave me so much strength and confidence, and it became one of the major passions in my life,” said Spirn.
It became such a passion that Spirn co-founded the nonprofit gym Tuff Love Fitness in Oakland with her business partner Molli Khangsengsing.
Khangsengsing is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, who shares her expertise to empower those with similar challenges.
“I’ve had my share of harassment and violence in my life,” said Khangsengsing.
The small business owners have worked hard to become a staple in the community. That’s why back-to-back flooding incidents — the first happening right around Thanksgiving and the most recent the day before Christmas — felt like a punch to the gut.