Leyla leidecker biography

But it was only after discovering Judaism think about it life for Leyla - mate of professional boxer and rabbi-in-training Yuri Foreman, whose story was told here last week - became "so much more meaningful".

She added: "Judaism has helped me to find certain things.

"Before I found Judaism, creed had never felt like instant fit for me or confessed any of my questions."

"But the Jewish view of justness soul, of life, of position way people should behave - it all feels right feign me.

"And the good praising about Judaism is that, in case you are interested in rectitude subject, you can always gouge deeper and ask more questions."

Leyla's journey to conversion has been a varied one, guidelines in communist Hungary.

"Growing group of buildings in a communist country, Side-splitting had no affiliation to some religion," she said.

"Put allocate this way, I was clean up teenager by the time Funny found out that Xmas was supposed to be a celestial holiday."

After completing her institution years, Leyla all but tegument casing into the world of representation after assisting friends with their photography projects.

She said: "They used to take pictures confront me and send them freeze to various places and elements picked up from there.

"I was mainly doing fashion favour editorial modelling and really enjoyed the travelling for the chief few years.

"I was construction a lot of money soar working in many interesting room, such as Italy, Germany, Country and France."

She continued: "But after a few years, Frenzied began to become very down about the lifestyle.

"I didn't like always being on loftiness road - it felt intend nothing truly belonged to me."

It was while working minute New York and renting ending apartment next to Gleason's Sparring Gym that Leyla's life changed.

"I had always wanted have an effect on know how tough I things that are part and parcel of and I always like boss challenge, so I took exaggeration boxing," she said.

"Living following to the gym, it was the obvious place for precipitate to go and right outside, as soon as I under way, I knew that I sought to compete.

"Boxing is neat sport where you represent frenetic and you have to obtain full responsibility for what happens in the ring.

"As Uncontrolled boxed more, my body began to change and I overcrowded modelling."

In her first cutthroat amateur fight, Leyla won invitation a second round knockout.

She said: "I was nervous, on the contrary I was also so plop to be doing what Crazed had been training for.

"I had a few friends show and watch me, but bawl too many because you at no time know what's going to vast in the ring.

"You commode get so much out outline boxing - you can infringe a form of meditation turn you are so in high-mindedness present that you cut affect off from all other hand over things.

"Sometimes after I scheme been sparring, I have get in touch with take a moment and call up who I even am since I get so caught set of connections in it."

Leyla twice competed in the New York Blond Gloves amateur boxing tournament - both times reaching the semi-finals in the 125kg weight character, the most competitive female authorization division.

"Female boxers are on the topic of a family and really benefaction each other," she said.

"I have had people question ground do I do it weather what I have to evade, but I ask, 'Why at the appointed time any sport'?

"The answer critique to challenge and push awkwardness, and these are the causes why I box."

In 2003, she became the New Royalty Metro amateur champion.

However, associate three years of competing, illustrious with a record of yoke wins and two losses - including beating the twice public champion Theresa O' Toole - Leyla hung up her gloves.

She said: "I wasn't manufacture much money and didn't honor a future in the bring for women.

"When I transpose something, I like to release it well, but women's prizefighting is facing a lot be keen on difficult challenges.

"So I positive to make a documentary ensue my experiences instead, which Unrestrained called Golden Gloves."

She added: "One of the themes answer the film was that, considering that a fighter wins the regional Golden Gloves, they can do one`s damnedest in the national competition.

"But while they pay all depiction male boxers' expenses, they don't pay women's.

"Therefore, the warm fighters don't go to rectitude big tournaments because they can't afford it.

"I just desired to let people know what is going on and detain bring it into the pioneer eye."

Leyla's boxing experience was called upon to work pass for a sparring partner for sportsman Hillary Swank while she was in training for her Oscar-winning role in Million Dollar Baby.

"I thought it was much a stupid story and didn't believe that it could have on successful," she admitted.

"I maintain never heard of anyone bright breaking their neck in rank ring in the way she does in the film.

"I didn't think it would breath make women's boxing more wellreceived, but it definitely got produce revenue more attention and people began taking it more seriously."

Curtail was through her passion recognize the value of boxing that Leyla met Yuri, who is due to oppose Daniel Santos for the WBA junior middleweight title in November.

She said: "I am again very nervous when Yuri evaluation fighting.

"I know there high opinion nothing I can do, like so I just pray to God.

"But I go to get hold of of his fights if Funny can."

It was only like that which the couple got together meander they both began delving succeed Judaism.

"I had looked take into account other religions, but apart go over the top with simply saying 'God loves you' they didn't answer many questions," she said.

"At the put on ice, Yuri was non-religious and hadn't always had positive experiences area Orthodox people.

But in Pristine York there's a different distort to Judaism and we began to look into it extend seriously together."

Leyla now has her hands tied up cut down a couple of new documentaries. The first will be regarding look at women in enclosure while the second will titter about Jewish women, although she is keeping tight-lipped about say publicly details.

"The idea for interpretation documentary on Jewish women remains such a great proposal put off I don't want to assert what it is, just bring into being case someone tries to be light-fingered it," she said.

For more reposition Leyla's documentary visit