Meet the Boxer, Filmmaker & Advocate
Amateur boxer, trainer, manager, writer, actress, filmmaker Jill Morley is many things.
A former “Go-Go Girl” in New Jersey, a victim of childhood abuse and a female fighter in the male-dominated sport of boxing, this pretty redhead has overcome a lot of obstacles, to say the least. She is petite yet powerful. She can seem quiet and reserved from the sidelines before becoming a formidable beast in the ring. She is feminine and ultra “girly” outside the ropes but all fire and fury on the canvas.
Jill Morley wears many hats and continues to strive to empower female boxing and women fighting their demons. She has done so in a project that first started rolling seven years ago. With her completed film in the can, “Fight Like A Girl” has been entered in many film fests in cities like Seattle, Palm Springs, New York, Phoenix, Dubuque and more. Celebrating its many awards and recognition, Morley’s documentary “Fight Like A Girl” (Shooting Ninjas Productions) has just been released on a wide-scale video on demand (VOD) and has been accepted into a brand new 2015 film festival in Los Angeles taking place in April.
“We just got released worldwide on VOD all platforms including Amazon, iTunes and Hulu,” the native New Yorker tells me. “We also will be screening in L.A. at the Artemis Film Festival, a fest dedicated to women in action films!”
This first-ever Artemis Women In Action Film Festival takes place next month (April 24-26) and Jill’s labor of love will be one of the films screened during the event. Her movie is one you should watch whether you are male or female, boxer or non-boxer. It gives the viewer an up close, intimate, stark and dramatic look into the world of amateur boxing and beyond. The underbelly of the sport is not always a pretty view especially for ladies trying to earn respect and get their fair shot in the game.
With a handful of amateur bouts logged in, Jill Morley is a true champion in and out of the ring. She has trained for the Golden Gloves and the Desert Showdown and has found a home in the ring. Standing just 5’1″ tall and weighing in at a fighting weight of just 106 pounds, this little dynamo packs a punch. She has battled through depression while confronting her parents over abuse issues (which caused her Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and continues to take a strong stance for victims around the world. She remains a a strong advocate in empowering others through combat sports.
I first met Jill a couple years ago in Palm Springs. I knew of her movie and of her work mentoring young girls and fighters. I had been looking forward to meeting her and learning more about her story. Even though I’m about the same height as her, I was shocked how tiny she was when I met her! But her firm handshake, instant grin and confidence showed she was no cupcake. I liked her immediately. Since then, I have seen her at several events and have gotten to know her better. There are many sides to her and that makes for one interesting and layered personality. She is open and giving yet can also seem and cautious and careful. And those who have seen her dogged determination in the ring are often surprised by her lilting infectious laugh I’ve heard at social gatherings!
While the diminutive Morley can appear shy, she is also very spunky–and always has new projects she is working on. Always striving for more, the flame-haired slugger is not one to rest on her laurels. Fighting through sexism and “ageism” in the boxing world, her tale–and her journey–is a gripping one.
“Fight Like A Girl” is 82 minutes of boxing, raw emotions and at-times dark revealing portraits of women in and out of the gym. Maureen Shea, Melissa Hernandez, Kimberly Tomes, Susan Merlucci Reno and more are seen in the film. It helps fill in the blanks of why some women choose to fight.
“My documentary film Fight Like A Girl’ is about women fighting their demons through competitive boxing and tells a larger story about overcoming abuse and trauma,” Jill relays to me. “I was fortunate enough to have an award-winning editor, sound mixer, designer, etc. to help me make it.”
Women’s boxing is on the back burner when it comes to exposure in amateur and pro boxing circuits. Morley hopes her movie will help support the cause. She is making headway and since the film’s release has won numerous film festival awards and also received a WBC honor for her dedication to boxing.
But it wasn’t an easy road getting the film made and into a wider release.
“There were several obstacles in making this film. First of all, it was completely done independently,” she explains during our interview. She did receive some much-appreciated donations but also funded this out of her own pocket too. “This is to say, while I was training for fights, learning to box, and making this film, I also was running my corporate video business. I am fortunate so many talented people worked beneath their normal rates, donated time, equipment and their very valuable energy.”
I’ve watched the film twice now and it is gritty, eye-opening and intriguing. Morley was pushed to the edge making this film and her breakdown and recovery is one she’s both humbled and proud of. She lived through this pain and now wants to help and inspire others. Facing her fears, her journey as a fighter paved the way for continued support for women’s boxing. It isn’t easy to watch her onscreen when she discusses the physical abuse she suffered as a young girl.
With her honesty and self-deprecating humor, she told me: “It was a tough story to tell. It really had to be vulnerable and show all the warts, bruises and (bad) boxing!”
She is humbled by the wave of support and attention she has received for her brave documentary that has touched many.
“I have a hard time giving myself credit for things, but I guess I will say that it’s pretty amazing to be screening at all these festivals and having people be so moved by the film,” Jill comments. “That was exactly my intent, exactly why I made it. And the fact that the WBC awarded me a medal for inspiration, education and courage (we are the only film to ever receive that award) is probably the thing I am most proud of as well as the boxing clinics with girls that I like to do at the festivals.”
The Southern California resident moved to the West Coast seven years ago with husband Gary Lai (martial artist/dancer and marketing professional) and they are the proud parents of three rescue dogs. She ran a community program in Marina Del Rey, frequently teaches free boxing classes for kids and teens, supports both boxing and MMA–and was recently asked to fight in a celebrity boxing match (cage style AND she beat a reality star for the cash prize)! And her next project will also be a lighter one, a comedy project in the works.
From Yonkers, New York to Hollywood, California it’s been one hell of a ride for Jill Morley. Comfortable switching from sweaty gym clothes to glamorous ball gowns, she wears many hats. But the sweet science is her first love.
“My love for the sport began as a child when I would watch the fights with my dad. We loved Muhammad Ali and would bond while watching his incredible skill, agility and entertaining personality,” Morley recalls. “Unfortunately, I didn’t start actually boxing until much later in life, partly because my focus was elsewhere for most of my life and also because it was never something that was encouraged (women fighting).”
With her depression and PTSD behind her, she looks ahead to the future. She is a survivor. Not forgetting her past–but overcoming her past–Jill strives to get the message out to others.
“I’m so happy to be past that–and to be helping other girls learn how to fight!” she says.
And she hopes women’s boxing gets pushed to the forefront in the future. “There are so many talented women now and the talent pool is getting deeper despite the fact that most of them cannot make a living doing it,” Morley expresses. “There is a real passion that emanates from them when we see their fights. I am hoping that when people hear the women’s stories, they will be more interested in seeing them fight. If I am fortunate enough to continue to get a wider audience, I hope “Fight Like A Girl” can be a part of popularizing the sport.”
She will continue to battle for the cause–in and out of the squared circle.
“I suppose there is always the “never give up” message, but there is also something to be said for accepting our limitations, our weaknesses and realizing our strengths,” the fighter/filmmaker mentions to me. “We are not all built to be champion boxers, but champions in our own way!”
Fight the good fight, Jill.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
www.fightlikeagirlthemovie.com
Click here to buy at amazon.
Photos by Michele Chong