Maggie Messina has been knocking down barriers for women in sports for decades. Now she is sharing her story with thousands of people.
Messina, owner of Taecole Tae Kwon Do studio in Albertson and founder of Female Fighters Matter Too, has been fighting for women’s equality in sports for nearly 40 years. She recently filmed an episode for “The Balancing Act: Local Edition,” a talk show hosted by Montel Williams and Olga Villaverde on Lifetime, where she discussed her studio. Messina also released a new book called “Tattered Laces: A Sister’s Promise,” which is already an international bestseller.
The producers of the show found Messina through her vast community involvement, along with her backstory. Messina said she already filmed the segment for the show and it will be released in late August.
When Messina got involved in martial arts at 18, she immediately knew that she wanted to be a martial arts instructor. She initially gave private lessons in Manhattan and then in local community centers. Eventually, she opened her current location in 2001.
“All these years later, it just flourished,” Messina said about her business. “I love martial arts and I love helping others and helping be part of their future, helping children believe in themselves.”
Messina said the main message she tries to convey in her teachings is to never give up. She also aims to instill courtesy, integrity, and perseverance in her pupils.
Messina said she grew up in poverty and lost three siblings during the pandemic. However, she did not let those challenges define her. She continued to persevere despite facing hardships in her life and wants to show others that they can as well.
The notion of “never giving up” has been ingrained in Messina since she founded the Female Fighters Matter Too movement in the 1980s. She competed for the United States in various martial arts competitions. At the competitions, she observed major inequalities between male and female athletes.
Messina competed in Madison Square Garden in 1986. Her division was squished into the gym corner between the bleachers and bathroom. However, women paid the same registration fee as men to compete and the male athletes had more space to practice. She also said she would hear people tell her and her teammates “nobody wants to watch women play.”
“It’s not just what it does to somebody for not having that equal right, but it’s what it does to the soul,” Messina said. “It does something to the person’s confidence level and it’s terrible to be on the receiving end of that.”
Messina said that while waiting for someone to step up and fix this issue, she realized that nobody was going to do it.
“So I just said, ‘You know what?’ I’ll do it myself’,” Messina said.
She said that most of the money she puts into this cause comes from her own pocket. She helps fund the country-wide events from her organization to make sure that the women hosting them are being paid and to “make them feel just like everyone else.”
“I was at an event this past weekend in D.C. and just the way that the women were being accepted was just great,” Messina said. “It’s nice to see it finally coming into fruition.”
Messing brings the values of uplifting one another to her studio through the classes she offers. She said that people can start classes as early as 3, and then by the time they’re 8, they want to help teach the previous group of students. She said that her studio is a big mentorship where all the students are constantly teaching each other as they move through the ranks.
“It’s a beautiful thing because the kids learn how to help one another, respect one another, and how to be there for each other as a community,” Messina said.
For Messina, community involvement plays a huge role in how she operates her business. She said she gives college scholarships every year to students at the local high schools. She also participates in fundraisers at the local school districts.
“We do free seminars for the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and any other organization that finds the need for it,” Messina said. “My whole thing is just making the community a good, safe place.”
In June, Messina was honored by the Town of North Hempstead for her work within the community. She was selected for the Town’s 31st Annual May W. Newburger Women’s Roll of Honor award for selflessly giving back to the community and state.
Messina said she plans to make Female Fighters Matter Too a non-profit, which will allow the organization to be sponsored by different companies. She said this will help her lift up women athletes even more across the region. She also said she plans on giving out more scholarships to local schools.
“The better Taecole does, the more we are able to have and the more we are able to give,” Messina said.
To learn more or donate to Female Fighters Matter Too, visit Swerv4Change.org/contact.
