Courtesy Shelby Osborne

Shelby Osborne, a boxing coach and mother from Saratoga Springs, is an example of how someone can channel their anger into strength and can set an example for women looking to overcome any challenge life throws at them.

In late 2019, Osborne had just become a new mom. And not long after giving birth to her daughter, Blakely, she was looking for a way to navigate the emotions that followed during the postnatal period.

What she found was unlike any over-the-counter medication or conventional counseling session: She discovered boxing.

“After I had Blakely, my daughter, a few months after that, I was struggling a little bit with postpartum anxiety, postpartum depression, and then a subset of that, which was postpartum rage, which isn’t often talked about,” Osborne explained.

Postpartum depression can affect 1 in 7 new mothers within the first year of childbirth, and the risk increases with each pregnancy, according to doctors with Cleveland Clinic.

Courtesy Shelby Osborne

Taking it a step further is postpartum rage, otherwise known as postpartum anger. Doctors say in this case, one may become easily agitated, frustrated and lose their temper after having a baby.

Experts say postpartum rage is often overlooked, but health care providers recognize that the condition does exist and can suggest a treatment.

But coping with postpartum emotions can look different for each person.

One day, Osborne said, she decided to try out Legends boxing and soon found her new passion — even though she’d never tried the sport.

“It had always been an interest of mine. But as a woman, it was kind of intimidating at first to just walk into a boxing gym,” Osborne said. “So I sat on it for some time, and then one day, I just knew that I needed to do something for myself, and I worked out the courage and bravery to walk in.”

Courtesy Rob Scott

Despite the intimidation she felt, there was a feeling throughout the environment at Legends that helped her feel at home, even on her first visit.

“I remember it vividly, and I was just welcomed. Legends does such a great job at making you feel welcome and like you belong; it’s one of the core values. And that’s exactly how I felt that day. And I just kept showing up day after day,” Osborne said.

While boxing is a good way to stay fit and healthy, the experience has provided much more for Osborne. The skill-based boxing and workout classes have helped sparked increased strength and confidence inside of her.

Wanting to give back to the place that helped her heal, Osborne began looking for ways to empower other moms and women who may have reservations about stepping into a boxing gym.

“I want to encourage women to get into combat sports, whether you’re struggling with postpartum rage or not,” Osborne said. “There are so many benefits that combat sports and boxing has given me. You just feel confident when you’re trying something new, stepping out of that comfort zone.”

Rob Scott, the founder of Legends Boxing, was impressed with Osborne upon meeting her at a women’s boxing clinic in their Orem gym that she organized.

“I just sent her a message saying, ‘Hey, thanks for doing that (clinic). That was really cool. I think you might be onto something here,'” Scott explained.

Moved by her initiative, he invited her to meet with the Legends marketing team to develop a structured boxing class helping and empowering women.

Scott calls Osborne’s journey with the boxing gym “impactful.”

And more than three years after she first walked into Legends, Osborne is now set to take on the culmination of her training in the first annual Utah FightCon combat sports expo, which Scott also is the mastermind behind.

Scott said the idea is a spinoff of his Executive Fight Night events, and he collaborated with the founder of Fit Con to brainstorm and develop FightCon.

The all-inclusive ticket includes wrestling, jujitsu, Muay Thai, MMA, armored combat, arm wrestling and fencing, with a UFC event at night.

Osborne will headline the first all-female main event.

“Representing the first female main event at one of these shows, I don’t take that lightly, and so I’ve been working really hard this past summer,” Osborne said, explaining she’s been training with top-notch athletes and coaches to prepare for the big event.

Women in boxing isn’t anything new. Though the sport is dominated by men, the fight for gender equality in the ring seems to be taking center stage, following a recent controversy during the 2024 Olympic games.

Scott said the Legends Boxing core values align with seeing the emergence of women in diverse forms of sports.

“I wanted to be able to give that gift to everybody and teach authentic, real USA boxing. It’s not meant to be just a cardio workout. … It’s meant to build a skill, which I think gives empowerment to anybody, and women in particular,” Scott said.

Unlike other boxing gyms, he said, Legends prides itself on being inclusive and empowering.

“We want to make sure that anybody who walks through that door, women especially, can feel like they made the right choice, and that they’re very welcome there, and that they can feel strong and empowered and that they’re going to learn a skill.”

In what started as a way to tackle her emotions, Osborne hopes to inspire fellow females to embrace their bravery and try something new.

“I know as a mother who had struggled (with) postpartum, taking that first step and just walking into the gym, that’s the hardest step. And so part of that mission is trying to make that a little bit more convenient for women or accessible, to get them into the gym and just try it out in a safe and encouraging, uplifting way,” she said.

FightCon takes place at the Mountain America Expo Center in Sandy on Saturday. Information about seating and tickets can be found at fightconexpo.com.

The Legends Boxing Fight Night will begin at 6 p.m. as the expo portion of FightCon closes.

Scott says he’s anticipating the event will draw upwards of 10,000 people, and he’s already planning for next year.