West Virginian and HOF champion boxer Christy Martin teams up with Charleston Dirty Birds and YWCA of Charleston for special events next week

PRESS RELEASE

Hall of Fame champion boxer and West Virginia native Christy Martin will be headlining two events in Charleston next week as  part of a unique partnership with the Charleston Dirty Birds and YWCA of Charleston. She will be the featured speaker at the Dirty Birds’ 4th annual Women Making a Difference Night celebration Wednesday evening, July 22 and have a longer  discussion about overcoming and preventing domestic or family violence on Thursday evening, July 23 at the YWCA’s Kitty  Dooley Center. 

“I’m honored and excited to come back home and share my story,” Christy said. “If my journey gives even one victim the  courage to take that first step toward safety and a new beginning, then it’s worth it. I want everyone to know that your past does not define your future—you can overcome unimaginable challenges and still achieve your dreams, no matter how big or  small. Thank you to the Dirty Birds and the YWCA for this incredible opportunity to inspire hope and stand with survivors.” As a young athlete from Mullens, West Virginia, Christy gained fame as a champion boxer, appearing as the subject of a cover  story in Sports Illustrated in 1996, and another cover in December 2026, Christy holds the distinction of being the first—and  still only—female boxer to appear on the cover of the Sports Illustrated magazine, and being elected to the International  Boxing Hall of Fame in 2020. In addition to breaking barriers in a male dominated sport, she also has had to overcome a near  death domestic violence attack and has become an inspiring voice of experience for women of all ages who’ve been forced to  deal with the harsh realities of violence in homes.  

Christy was recently presented the 2026 Purple Ribbon Award for Domestic Violence Survivor of the Year. Last November, Christy Martin’s inspiring life story was brought to the screen in the biopic “Christy”, starring Sydney Sweeney and is now  streaming on all major platforms. 

She will be the featured speaker to launch the Dirty Birds’ Women Making a Difference Night on Wednesday, July 22, which  will begin soon after gates open at 5:30 pm and later throw out a first pitch prior to the game against the Gastonia Ghost  Peppers. The event will also honor 2026 Difference-Making Women All-Stars who have been nominated by people throughout  the community. 

“When you think of women who make difference in West Virginia and beyond, Christy Martin personifies that spirit and we’re  proud to have her share her story with fans next Wednesday evening,” said Dirty Birds owner and CEO Andy Shea. “Her  message resonates with girls and women across generations who will be at GoMart Ballpark and have the chance to learn from  someone who worked so hard to achieve greatness and overcome just about every obstacle in her way including one that  threatened her life.” 

After Christy learned about plans for Women Making a Difference Night and expressed her willingness to share her story at the  ballpark, the leader of the YWCA of Charleston suggested a follow-up event for continuing the conversation and amplifying  Christy’s powerful message with more people the next evening. That event will begin at 6:00 pm Thursday, July 23 at the  YWCA’s Kitty Dooley Center for Community Enrichment, 412 Elizabeth Street in Charleston. 

“This partnership represents exactly the kind of community collaboration that changes lives! When an organization like the  Charleston Dirty Birds joins forces with the YWCA, we’re not just hosting an event; we’re sending a message that ending  domestic violence takes an entire community working together,” said YWCA CEO Sonya Hairston. “Christy Martin’s willingness  to share her story, both at the ballpark and in a more intimate setting at our YWCA Katherine “Kitty” Dooley Center, gives  survivors permission to believe their own stories aren’t over. We’re grateful to Andy Shea and the Dirty Birds organization,  along with our sponsors and partners, Graystone Consulting and West Virginia Women’s Alliance, for helping us bring this  message to Charleston.” 

The YWCA is presenting sponsor of Women Making a Difference Night with Graystone Consulting as lead sponsor of the event  at the YWCA. This unprecedented combination of events has also been made possible thanks to the West Virginia Women’s  Alliance, Webb Law Centre, Charleston Area Alliance and Chamber of Commerce, and Marcot Consulting. Vandalia Health  sponsors a celebration of “Women in Health Care” during the game Wednesday as part of both Women Making a Difference  Night and Vandalia Health Week at GoMart Ballpark. 

The YWCA event Thursday evening is free and open to the public. Groups that may want to attend Women Making a  Difference Night can email bkorn@dirtybirdsbaseball.com for group discounts, and individual tickets to the event and game  can be purchased through https://dirtybirdsbaseball.com/.