Life & Work with Brooke Shoemaker of Phoenix

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brooke Shoemaker.

Hi Brooke, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up facing a lot of adversity and carried trauma that could have easily held me back, but I found outlets in movement and challenging myself to do things that seemed impossible..
In my 20s I chased excellence as a bartender, moving to New York City to work in some of the best cocktail bars in the world.! That experience taught me how to thrive in high-pressure environments as well as how to be personable and flexible.
But after years in the hospitality industry, I realized I was numbing myself with alcohol and distraction instead of truly healing or pursuing what I loved.

Covid was the turning point that really led me fully to athletics.
The city shut down, so many hospitality workers were out of work, including myself, so I threw myself into endurance sports; cycling hundreds of miles, running races, and eventually completing an Ironman here in Phoenix, AZ, which lead me to make a move away from the bustling NYC to this beautiful desert city.
Triathlon showed me how to endure, but I knew I belonged in combat sports.
I eagerly dove back into boxing, which really, became my therapy, my purpose, and my path forward.

Today I’m an amateur fighter training in some of the toughest gyms, with the goal of turning professional. Along the way, I became a certified trainer and launched my business, Hard Fought Fitness, built around the values that have carried me through: grit, discipline, integrity, and hard work. I coach people not just on physical performance but also on mindset and lifestyle; because I’ve learned firsthand how training can save your life and unlock potential you didn’t think you had.
I didn’t come into this with privilege, money, or connections.
I had nothing.
What’s gotten me here is showing up every day… tired, and scared, but refusing to quit.
My journey is still unfolding, but I’m proud that I’ve created a life and business built on resilience and on helping others find their own strength.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has NOT been a smooth road.
I was born in in a very small town in NE, grew up in a trailer park.
We had no money and alcoholism plagues my family. I have been sober for almost 4 years.
The biggest struggles I have encountered, aside from quitting drinking, have been breaking the habits were ingrained into me as a young child that kept me living the life of a poor, unhappy and unhealthy person.

The hardest thing hasn’t been getting sober, it has been rewriting my identity, despite always believing I was just not one of the “lucky ones.”

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am most proud of being someone who is relatable and who can show others who grew up in similar situations to myself that we can be ANYTHING we want to be.
Absolutely anything we want to have in life, we can have through hard work and consistency.
Emphasizing that there are no losses, only lessons as long as we never give up.

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
You can work with me by visiting my website www.hardfoughtphx.com or sending me a DM on instagram brookehardfought

I am also looking for sponsors to grow with me as a professional boxer!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hardfoughtphx.com
• Instagram: brookehardfought