Just in time for the holiday season, an inspirational (and local) story will hit the big screen. The Fire Inside brings the story of Claressa Shields, a two-time Olympic Gold Boxer from Flint Michigan to the screen. But this isn’t your typical sports movie. It focuses on the lows of a professional athlete, as much as it does the highs. The inspirational story is one that young athletes and anyone aspiring to dream for more will find interesting.
I was able to sit down with Claressa Sheilds, Ryan Destiny, who portrays Claressa in the movie, and Rachel Morrison last month to discuss more about the movie, the importance of this time in sports history, and its impact on their lives.
The day before our interview, The Fire Inside had a local red carpet in Flint, Claressa’s hometown. “It was so beautiful.” Claressa said, ” The people of Flint showed up, they cried, they laughed. It was better than I expected. Everybody loved the movie and I haven’t got a bad text, not one. Usually, when something like this happens there is a critique somewhere.”
Most sports movies have a general format that viewers can expect, and that always ends with the big win of someone’s career. The Fire Inside breaks that mold and it shows what happens after the expected “happily ever after”. I was curious how important it was for Claressa to tell her whole story, not just the highlights. “For me, it was very important to get the insight of the story. I want them to see that there is a life outside the ring of boxing. That women athletes have to deal with every day. I dealt with it in the early days before people were pushing for equal rights, during th water crisis in Flint, Me TOO. The movie captures time while all of that is going on. I want people to see that not only am I still winning, but look at what I’m going through while I’m winning. I feel like women have to be 10 times better than the men just to get recognition for what they do. And I’ve been doing it for so many years, I want them to see, and look at the mindset to see “look at where I am now” and the mindset to get me here.
“There are plenty of times in the film that I could have just quit and gave up. Even when I watch it, it’s like “How did I get through that?” to win the Olympic medal and not to get one endorsement or sponsorship for years? I had a documentary. Then you have to figure out what comes next. Do I go to college? Get married? Have babies? Do you get a job? What do you do? I had these thoughts, and somehow I ended up back in the ring. I want people to see that things in life are going to happen, but it’s all about how you react to it. Not what happens to you, but how you react to it and your mindset. It’s your belief, your strength and your confidence. You will have people looking down on you, saying “You lost, who cares” but it is how you react to it and seeing the bigger picture and going for it.”
Director Rachel Morrison added “I found it interesting to turn the sports convention on its end. It always ends with the big win and the credits roll. And I think it’s so much more inspiring and real to take on all the battles outside the ring but that things don’t end with the trophy. I think she’s incredibly resilient inside the ring but outside of as well, and it’s the heart of the movie.”
With a focus on such a physical sport, you’d expect an athlete to be cast in the role of Claressa. Detroit native Ryan Destiny actually took the role on without any training beforehand. “It was extremely intense, tiring. I literally had to send a video of me boxing for my audition.” she mentioned about the training process. Even before her audition, she had never stepped into the ring or attempted boxing. “I called up someone I knew and went to a random boxing gym and was like “I’m auditioning for a role and I need a video of me doing this” I think they really wanted to see if I was coordinated enough. I don’t know where that video is, but I hope I burned it. It wasn’t great. But to see the transformation from that first video to what it ended up being is incredible. “I was very proud of myself in the end. I’ve never pushed myself that hard before or gone to that level of being very fit and having stamina and making sure I was ready on set for the long days of doing the fight scenes over and over again. It’s me doing it, no body double or stunt double.” Morrison added, “not that we didn’t have one, but she wasn’t as good as Ryan.”
“I was very into it by then. I really wanted to continue the takes. I would see a glimpse of it and want to do it over again.” continued Destiny about filming the fight scenes. “We’d go toe to toe with the stunt coordinator, with them saying she’s done she’s done. And we’d get one more shot,” added Morrison, “We would gang up on him. She’d say she had to do it again.”
The role didn’t require just acting but a physical transformation for Destiny to portray Claressa on the screen. “It was a crazy training process. I gained weight, I gained muscle. I was training with my weight trainer and boxing trainer. They were great and helpful.” she said, “I don’t know that I’ll ever do again.”
And after she completed filming, Ryan hasn’t kept up with the training. ” I’m like “yah I’m an actor, after they say cut I’m done. I am thinking of going back, now that there’s not the pressure. I’m definitely thinking of going back. Just to stay fit in general. I think it’ll feel different.”
Encouraging Ryan and everyone else to take up boxing, Claressa told her “You should do it. I think specifically for her to keep that drive and that hunger and confidence. You know how to do it now, you know how to throw punches and slips. Sometimes, when life gets overwhelming and you want to punch someone and can’t, it’s a great way to get it out.” with Morisson adding “I started boxing to get my head in the film and do it now too.”
The movie inspired the crew and other actors to get involved with the sport. ” The guy who plays Zay in the movie, is a professional boxer now.” Claressa explained about Idrissa Sanogo. “He got hooked, I got hooked.” added Morrison, “it’s great for clearing your head”
This past year we’ve seen a greater embrace of women in non-traditional sports and the timing of the release of The Fire Inside will no doubt continue in that momentum. “I hope there’s more acceptance that athletes can come in more shapes and sizes.” Morrison said about the movement.
Claressa said “Maybe there will be more openness for non-traditional sports for women. But also I think too, that it’ll show that non-traditional sports are women who want to be men, who are manly and who have deep voices. And it’s not true. It’s a stereotype. We’re just women who have a passion for a sport. What I learned from the Women’s Sports Foundation is sports has no gender. I feel like it’ll make them embrace boxing and other traditional sports. That we are women first, and athletes second. And that these big companies with big endorsements and deep pockets, can make us a face of a brand – that we do have an audience, and that people love us. That we can be a big help to the brand and they can be a big help to us.”
Find your inspiration and drive this holiday season with The Fire Inside, in theaters on Christmas day.
About the Fire Inside
THE FIRE INSIDE is the inspirational true story of Claressa Shields, arguably the greatest female boxer of all time. Claressa, a high school Junior from Flint, Michigan, aided by her tough-love coach, Jason Crutchfield, pushes past all limitations to become the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing. But even at the pinnacle of success, Claressa has to reckon with the fact that not all dreams are created equal, and the real fight has only just begun.