SALT LAKE CITY — For the first time this year, women's boxing will be an Olympic sport. One Utah boxing instructor thinks it will help bring credibility to the sport. But she believes a lot of people will still think boxing is just for men.

Inside Delgado's BC Boxing Gym in Heber, you'll find a not-so-typical boxing trainer. Brittney "Thor" Christian has been passionately pursuing boxing since she was a teen.

"My dad was like, 'You need to shape up or you're going into the military.' So, I found a boxing gym, started training and I haven't stopped since," she said.

She made a name for herself in the amateur ranks. Her trainers even asked her if she wanted to pursue an invite to the Olympic trials. But she couldn't afford to chase an Olympic dream.

"It pretty much came down to I needed to make a living. I decided if I was going to open my own gym, I needed to be fighting as a pro," she said.

Currently, her professional record stands at 3-1, with one win coming by knockout. She uses the money from those fights to support her gym, where she trains a wide range of people, including men.

"The youngest kids that I have right now are about 8. But then, I have guys that are 50-60 years old," she said.

She admits that it's pretty hard getting men to respect her as a boxing coach, that is, until she gets in the ring and spars a few rounds with them. She says there's nothing like a good beatdown to convince a guy that she knows how to fight.

"When we first opened the gym, my mom used to say, 'You cannot beat people up like that.' I'd say, 'Well, if I don't beat people up like that, I'm not going to have anyone to train,'" she said.

Jonathan Garcia, 16, said, "She almost knocked me out."

Garcia found Christian through a friend. He says "Thor" punches a lot harder than some guys he's gone up against.

"She was good," he said. "I think I learned fast because I didn't know anything about boxing."

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Even though women's boxing is now an Olympic event, she feels the sport has a long way to go.

"I think there is always going to be that controversy that women can't fight," she said.

So, for now, Brittney is continuing to train her students, as well as prepare herself for her next professional fight. As for when that's going to be, it's really anyone's guess because her opponents keep bailing on her.

"They'll agree to the fight. Then they'll do research on me, or they'll find articles, they'll find videos, and then, all of a sudden, they don't want to fight," she said.

Still, Christian says there's nothing she'd rather be doing.

"I get to punch people in the face for a living," she said.

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