TAMPA, Fla. — Over the summer Tampa Bay 28 anchor Wendy Ryan attended the Florida Behavioral Health Conference and met a man who turned years of pain into power.
Cam Awesome is the winningest boxer in USA history and 12-time National Champion. But his story didn’t start in the ring.
“If you can fail without being discouraged, success becomes inevitable,” said Cam Awesome.
Growing up, Cam Awesome was bullied and he battled low self-esteem every day. Then one moment everything changed. He realized no one was coming to fix it.
“My thought process was, ‘No one cares. No one’s coming to save me,’” Cam said.
So, he went to work on himself and silence that critical voice in his head.
He joined a boxing gym, and he trained like a winner.
“I had my first fight without telling anybody in my family and I won my first fight! Let me tell you, I was on top of the world! Technically, I was undefeated as a human being,” explained Cam.
That belief in himself kept paying off.
“So, I made a commitment to believe in myself and with that delusion, after never making a team before, I qualified for the 2008 Olympic trials,” said Cam.
And the wins just kept coming. Today, he’s the winningest boxer in USA history, a 12-time national champion and former captain of Team USA Boxing. Now, he shares his journey as a motivational speaker.
“After about six months in the gym, my coach said, ‘Cam, you’ve been coming to the gym every day, and you’re in such great shape, I think it’s time for you to get in the ring and spar.’ And I said, ‘No, thank you! I don’t think Mom’s gonna let me,’” Cam said.
At the Florida Behavioral Health Conference this past summer, Cam uplifted the crowd and had them laughing and listening.
“Has humor helped you heal and also bounce back when you failed?” asked Wendy Ryan.
“Sadness is a slippery slope, and humor gives you some grip,” replied Cam.
But even Cam still fights doubt. Like so many of us, online critics shake his confidence.
“Do you ever fight negative feelings that creep in? Because I think even if we have a moment of being positive, it's hard not to have that critical moment?” asked Ryan.
“Every day! Every day. I speak on this, my life, and I have to always, constantly be working on it.” said Cam.
While speaking to the room, full of mental health therapists, Cam’s message was to be careful how you talk to yourself and don’t forget to take care of you.
“A lot of these people are depleted. They're dealing with stressful situations. They're dealing with hardships, daily addiction and sickness. And they need to fill themselves up and love themselves, the way they're loving other people,” said Cam.
You can learn more about Cam by clicking here.
Share Your Story with Wendy
Tampa Bay 28 Anchor Wendy Ryan is dedicated to helping our neighbors navigate the important topic of mental health. For years, she’s been connecting people to resources, listening to their challenges, and sharing their stories to decrease the stigma. You can connect with Wendy by using the form below.
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