Robyn Klenk Gartner has been selected as the September RCN and LVSE Athlete of the Month. As a female boxer, kickboxer and Muay Thai fighter, she competes in a sport that is the ultimate individual challenge, and unlike team sports where you win or loose as a team, you walk into the ring alone and either rise to the challenge or fail.

Robyn recalled her early interest, “I was four years old and I saw a Tiger Schulmann’s commercial on TV and begged my parents to let me try out a class. I earned my first degree black belt when I was 9 years old. Later I took about 8 years off and came back at the age of 25. I went back to white belt, which was a humbling experience.” Now 28, Robyn stepped into the ring for the first time at the age of 25 when Shihan James Simpson, the head instructor of at the TSMMA Allentown school asked her if she wanted to enter a Golden Gloves bout.

Shihan Simpson says, “Robyn is determined as an athlete and focused as a fighter. She puts in extreme hours, trains during her lunch break, runs 3 miles after work, and then comes back to the school to work out. Her diet is strict, so she never has to worry about making weight. She’s not intimidated by anything or anyone.”

Robyn likes Muay Thai kickboxing the most, because you stand on your feet and fight it out. She hasn’t competed in any MMA matches, because she’s not quite ready to make the transition. “It’s very exciting, you’re doing something active, but its always different, switching between boxing, kickboxing and grappling, to progress you have to constantly raise your game and work to get better.”

Robyn noted, “A lot of people tend to get nervous before a fight, but I’m focused. There is a job to do and I know exactly what I have to do. The only thing I hear in the ring is Shihan Simpson’s instruction. I remember the first time I got hit really hard, it was in training, they brought in some female Pro and Amatuer fighters from a gym in NYC, I thought I got my front teeth knocked out, I learned I could take it.”

A frustrating aspect is that there aren’t enough bouts for women. “The more you compete and win, the better your record gets and the harder it is to find fights. Last year Shihan Simpson took me down to Virginia to fight. I get put in for 5 to 6 bouts a year and I’m lucky to get 2 or 3. You can train hard for six weeks, watch your diet and your opponent can pull out at the last minute. But you can’t give up if you’re passionate about it.”

Originally from Horsham Pa, she played travel, select, state and premier level soccer. Training originally at the Montgomeryville TSMMA school, Robyn says martial arts gives you discipline, balance, coordination and that converts to a competitive edge.

Robyn concluded, “There are two people I owe everything to, Shihan Simpson, he’s the guy you have to train with. He’s so dedicated to his fighters. He pushes you, supports you, comes in on Sunday’s and even trains me on my lunch breaks, anything it takes. I give him all of my gratitude. I wouldn’t be able to do this without him. The other person is Ray Velez, a former pro boxer, and coach at TSMMA headquarters whose words are like gold to me. He gets inside your head and motivates you, works on technique, and breaks things down in a way you can understand them.

Robyn says she feels she is too old to turn pro, but she loves it so much and she’s just going to keep competing as long as she physically can, adding, “I haven’t taken too much damage yet.”