Submitted Photo Sonja Fox of Mandaree, right, is the American Boxing Organization Region 4 heavyweight champion. She turned professional about five years ago. Three Affiliated Tribes Chairman Mark Fox is at the left.

MANDAREE – Every day, Sonja Fox gets up before sunrise to “do my miles for cardio” and then travels from Mandaree to Minot and back again.

Her time in Minot is spent in “brutal” training, she says, because she has a big dream: To box at Madison Square Garden.

Fox is the American Boxing Organization Region 4 heavyweight champion. She turned professional about five years ago and will be defending her title Sept. 16 at 4 Bears Casino & Lodge, west of New Town.

She says her strategy is simple – get in the first punch – but, of course, it’s more complicated than that.

“I was always told be the first person to throw the punch. See what the other fighter brings to the table. It’s more to see their reactions, their maneuvers,” she said.

She idolizes Laila Ali, world famous fighter who competed from 1999 to 2007. The daughter of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, Laila Ali went undefeated in 24 fights, 21 won by knockout. At 6-0, Fox is on her way.

“I love (Ali’s) aggressiveness in the ring. The way she maneuvers and the way she dominates the ring. She’s my idol,” Fox said.

Her sport is tough and demanding but she loves it even if that love is a little conflicted.

“I hate that I love boxing. I hate to get hit but I love to hit. That’s what fires me up,” Fox said. But she cautioned it takes “dedication, determination, lots of sacrifices, willpower and the mindset to be a fighter.

“It’s a hard sport to be in.”

(Prairie Profile is a weekly feature profiling interesting people in our region. We welcome suggestions from our readers. Call Editor Mike Sasser at 857-1959 or Regional Editor Eloise Ogden at 857-1944. Either can be reached at 1-800-735-3229. You also can send e-mail suggestions to msasser@minotdailynews.com.)