Veronica Mehling, a member of BMWED Local Lodge 686 of Laramie, Wyoming, is one of a kind.

It isn’t that Mehling is one of few women to work as welder that makes her unique. Rather, it’s the fact that Mehling is the only professional female boxer within the Teamsters Rail Conference.

Around the Laramie area, Mehling has a reputation for her boxing and is a local favorite. She is known for her powerful punch and quick knock-out, and sports contributors have called her “a ferocious competitor in the ring.”

But Mehling’s record speaks for itself.

The champion middleweight boxer has a record of 13 and 2 and is currently training to uphold it. In the next few months, Mehling could be traveling as far as California to partake in her 16^th professional fight.

She recently won her third boxing world title, the Championship Boxing Associations’ Championship Title Belt and is also a Wyobraska Champion.

Training and Commitment

“It takes a lot of determination,” said Mehling, who trains two to three hours nearly every day. “Even though you’re tired, you have to keep going and keep pushing for your goal.”

At the moment, Mehling’s goal is to stay active, stay focused and empower herself physically and mentally through the sport.

And to do so isn’t easy. After working a full shift at the Union Pacific (UP) welding plant, Mehling comes home and immediately hits the gym. Her workouts center around cardio exercises, including jump roping, running, sparring and working the heavy bag.

Mehling’s job, which is on a set schedule with very little overtime, allows her to focus on her fighting and training.

When she isn’t working or boxing, Mehling has found time to serve as a chairperson for her local lodge and has been hailed as a team player and union supporter by her coworkers.

“Veronica continues to be a great asset to Local Lodge 686 and to our System,” said BMWED Unified System Division General Manager Wayne Morrow. “Her passion for the sport of boxing matches her commitment to our union and is part of what makes her stand out.”

Support from Family and Co-Workers

Mehling couldn’t keep up with her boxing or union work, she said, without the support of her husband and co-workers.

“They really motivate me to keep training and keep focused on what I’m doing,” Mehling said. “I get a lot of support from them.”

Like Mehling, her husband, Justin, is also an athlete and a BMWED member, though Justin’s sport of choice is mixed martial arts.

Although both Mehling and her husband enjoy fighting, Mehling was the first of the two to take interest in the sport. She first tried boxing about six years ago and was hooked. Mehling, however, has taken the sport beyond the realms of her own self.

Today, boxing is a full-blown calling for Mehling, who utilizes her own gym to train and coach other women.

Despite her impressive record and reputation, Mehling still faces discrimination in the ring from those who believe boxing should be a sport for men only. Mehling doesn’t allow the trash talk and bad attitudes to get in her way, though. She believes what the sport gives to women is priceless.

“It’s good for your self esteem. It makes you feel good about yourself,” Mehling said, explaining she has seen those who she trains grow and blossom both personally and professionally. One of the women she has trained is currently ranked fifth in the world.

And although Mehling’s record is nothing to scoff at, the UP worker said her triumphs in the sport don’t center on numbers or scores.

“It’s more of a self-achievement,” Mehling said. “Whether I win or lose, this is something that I feel accomplished about.”