Game Changers - Boxing Champions Akiesha Barnes & Cynthia Pablo
- Jul 1
- 3 min read
Some people need a gym. Akiesha Barnes and Cynthia Pablo needed that too, but what they found at DSAL was something more.
They found each other.
What started as a shared commitment to showing up has grown into something powerful: a partnership built on mutual accountability, encouragement, and the kind of friendship that makes hard work feel worthwhile. Together, they've discovered that the path to personal growth is better walked with someone beside you.
Akiesha has been part of DSAL for six years. Cynthia for two. Between them, they bring eight years of dedication to their health, their goals, and their community - and their energy is contagious.
"It has helped us feel stronger, more capable, happier, confident, and social. We love working out alongside people who share a common goal - it fuels and energizes us."
Both women participate in Boxing and Muévete, bringing consistency and accountability to every class they attend. Their coaches admire their progress, and the effect they have on each other - multiplied by their mutual goals and support of one another.
"What sets them apart isn't just their commitment to showing up and putting in the work - it's how they lift each other up every step of the way. They hold each other accountable, push through challenges, and still manage to do it all with a smile."
That accountability is a tool that can propel individuals toward shared goals faster than they might progress on their own.
"During a casual conversation, we decided to link up outside of class to hold each other accountable for our weight training goals. DSAL Boxing Arena provides the perfect place and atmosphere for us to push our physical limits and achieve our goals!"
That decision - to extend their commitment beyond scheduled class time and into their daily lives - gets incredible results. And it's the kind of connection that forms when people are given the space to build genuine community.
Akiesha and Cynthia found a place to work out at DSAL, and within that structure, they found each other.
Their results speak for themselves. Both women report stronger bodies, more energy, reduced stress and anxiety, greater confidence, and healthier mindsets. Additional outcomes that are less obvious at first glance, are just as important and life-altering.
"We believe the program reinforces a conscious level of self-awareness and self-discipline, helping people pause and process before they react."
That capacity - to pause, reflect, and choose a response rather than react impulsively - shapes everything: how people handle conflict, navigate relationships, and show up for their communities. Akiesha and Cynthia have built it rep by rep, class by class, through the discipline of consistent training.
"The coaching and instructors are fantastic. Their dedication to our improvement motivates us to keep coming back. We feel proud and happy with the physical and mental results we achieve through our commitment to the DSAL program."
Their coaches are equally proud of the pair, and the work they put into every training session.
"Their consistent attendance in both Boxing and Muévete classes shows their dedication to growth in multiple areas. At DSAL, we're more than just a gym - we're a team, a family, a community - and seeing members like them motivates everyone around them to stay inspired and committed."
Akiesha and Cynthia came to DSAL to get stronger. Six years and two years later, they are - in every sense of the word.
Stronger bodies.
Stronger mindsets.
A stronger bond.
And around them, a community that is stronger for having them in it.