In 2012, San Francisco's Mia St.
John triumphed in one of the
toughest boxing matches of her
long and successful career. At Table
Mountain Casino in California,
she took on the legendary
Christy Martin for the WBC light
middleweight crown, and won.
Fans of the sport know West Virginia
native Christy Martin as a
key figure in the establishment of
women's boxing. Her career has
been instrumental in boosting the
sport’s profile. So when Mia St.
John took on Martin in that crucial
fight, she was confronting not
just a boxer, but a living legend.
Mia St. John’s grueling win over a
women’s boxing icon won her a
world championship. However,
her toughest battles, and her most
26—iPain Living Magazine
important victories, have all come
outside of the ring.
Her Toughest
Opponent
Mia lives with physical chronic
pain conditions including osteoarthritis,
she had lived through traumatic
brain injuries from participating
in a sport she loves. St.
John faces one of the most dogged
and determined life opponents a
person can face; alcoholism.
Alcoholism affects us mentally
and physically. It breaks lives,
whether it emerges in yourself or
in a loved one. St. John has found
herself battling with alcoholism
and mental illness over and
over. Each time, it took a devastating
toll.
Each time, St. John got up off the
canvas after taking the worst that
mental illness could deliver. She
remained determined to take what
mental illness had cost her and
transform it into something that
could help others overcome the
pain.
The Loss of Her Son
November 23, 2014, Mia St. John
and her former husband Kristoff,
a star on the hit daytime series
The Young and the Restless, lost
their son Julian to suicide .
Julian St. John had endured a lifelong
battle with mental illness. As
an aspiring artist, he enjoyed notable
successes with his work. His
parents worked to support him in
his struggle to help him both heal