Christy Martin works hard at her career. She spends hours training and practicing, sharpening her skills in the gym to become the best in her profession. What makes Martin unique, however, is that she is a woman in the male-dominated sport of boxing. After taking up the sport on a dare from her friends, she has become a star and world champion. Along the way, Martin also met the love of her life, her trainer Jim Martin. She has achieved fame after growing up as a coal miner's daughter in rural West Virginia.

Growing up

Daddy's girl

Christy Martin was born June 12, 1968, in Bluefield, West Virginia, but grew up in Mullens, West Virginia. Martin's father, John, was a coal miner, and her mother, Joyce, is a homemaker. Her father and brother, Randy, worked hard in the coal mines, a major industry in West Virginia. Both of Martin's grandfathers...