As she continues her inspiring MS journey, Selma Blair has decided to step inside the squared circle — and Us Weekly exclusively followed her into the ring.
The actress, 52, who was diagnosed with MS in 2018, started training with famed 64-year-old boxing trainer, Freddie Roach, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease when he was 27. A former professional boxer himself, Roach has worked with some of the most accomplished boxers in history, including Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto and Oscar De La Hoya.
Us Weekly was exclusively in attendance at Roach’s Wild Card Boxing Club on Wednesday, February 26, which marked Blair’s fourth day in the ring with Roach.
“It is great,” Blair told Us. “Obviously, I couldn’t be more novice, but I take it really seriously and I really want to be a good fighter.”
Selma Blair Shares How MS Affects Her Parenting With Son Arthur
Blair said she was motivated to start working with Roach because she “loves surprising people and surprising myself,” and she credited her trainer with already allowing her to see a difference in her skill level after a few sessions.
“There’s something about Freddie Roach, knowing that he is such a fighter and has done really well with himself, neurologically,” Blair explained. “Just staying in his presence and staying in his strength, and to be able to learn something from someone who’s a true master. To even get to play in this as who I am and get to feel like I really want to do this. You know, he gets it.”
She added, “I say that to flatter myself because we all wish there was a little more Freddie Roach in us.”
Blair said Roach “inspired” her to take the leap and start showing up at his gym. “I am just trying to come every day,” she noted. “This is just the beginning.”
She added, “I want to be in good shape, good emotionally, redo some balance and learn how to use my arms in tandem with the rest of me that’s getting stronger. So, it’s really about stamina and trying to increase being awake for all the things I have to do.”
Additionally, Blair said her son Arthur, 13 — whom she shares with her ex, Jason Bleick — helped inspire her to work up the motivation to train with Roach.
“He’s so tough,” Blair said of her son. “We’ve always been so close and wrestled, because I was kind of like Mom and Dad — and then Dad was like Mom and Dad when he was with him. He really was tough on me. Seeing how strong he is, how good he is at things, it was inspiring. Like, I used to be like that. I want to take this seriously. I wanna work with the people that have defied all that, that have been the best in their game.”
Selma Blair Is ‘Feeling More Confident’ in Her Hollywood Return
Blair also provided Us with an update about her MS journey, saying, “Learning to stand up for myself is like a new language.”
“I’m a late bloomer,” she explained. “I have so much going on. I kinda cleaned house in my life. I’m excited. I’m excited for the first time.”
Blair added, “I gotta keep going. It’s just been inspiring for me to say, “Yeah, I can do it.’ I’m safe now. I am relapse-free right now. I’m at [this] stage long enough with me being relapse-free that I’m just kind of living in the fumes of some old damage. I feel confident that I’m not gonna fall apart if I push myself. And that’s just confidence.”
For more on Blair’s boxing training, watch the video above.
Reporting by Amanda Williams
