My name is Kyana Williams, but
everyone calls me “Special Kay”. I was born in Lowell,
Massachusetts but describe myself as a product of Providence.
I moved to Rhode Island, at the age of two with my parents
and brother, and have been a product of my environment
ever since.
People always ask, “why
Special Kay”? And I always reply because I’m “special”. To
be a fighter you have to have a certain level of mental
resilience, confidence and self discipline.
As my dad always says, "you need
to have that dog in you"---just like being a police officer. You
need to have confidence, discipline, and mental strength. This
will help you navigate through challenging times and tough
situations, both inside and outside the boxing ring.
When Growing up, I always wanted to be a fighter. I
started boxing and competing at the age of 12. Honestly, I
didn’t put much thought into a “plan B”. I just knew I
didn’t want a desk job.
In my senior year of high school,
I broke my arm, which really made me question my purpose. Then
when I got into College where I had received a scholarship, I
majored in Criminology. However, I wasn’t quite sold on the idea
of being a police officer at the time. I figured law school was
more my speed.
At 19 years old, I was a “victim”
of a home invasion that resulted in my father and I getting
shot. I added the air quotes because being a victim is described
as someone that is harmed, injured or killed as a result of a
crime. However, for me that was the turning point of what made
me … ME. I used to look at myself as a victim. But now, I
think sometimes the universe aligns stars just for you. I never
considered being a detective. Honestly, growing up I don’t
remember seeing black female officers in general. After
speaking to the detectives working on my case and realizing the
time, effort and resources that goes into an investigation,
I knew exactly where and what I wanted to be, a Providence
Police Officer.
Women Cops
Who Box
In Police work, you have to
genuinely love your job. You have to be comfortable making
uncomfortable decisions for other people. You are put in
positions where you see people at their lowest. I tell
people all the time you aren’t a bad person you just made a bad
decision. And to the victims, I reiterate "it’ll be
alright---because even if it’s not. It will be”. And to my
fellow officers that have to bear the responsibilities of
everyone else’s problems, I reiterate you aren’t alone. I tell
people all the time to “treat yourself like someone you love”.
You might be surprised how far it takes you.
I remember being a recruit at the age of 21, just two
years after being shot, feeling uneasy about going to the gun
range. Most people don’t know this: But I never shot a gun until
the academy. I remember us all standing in a line and me being
hesitant to shoot off my first round. I could hear an instructor
yell out “are you scared? Because if you are we’ll kick you out
of here”. I was indeed scared. I remember closing my eyes
and telling myself, “I made it too far to only make it
this far”. I opened my eyes and eased the slack out of the
trigger and bang … The next round went directly in the center of
the target. Honestly, I surprised myself. I then heard the same
instructor yell out “I guess you aren’t ”.
It reminded me of my first fight.
I remember being 12 and scared. My dad asked me “how are you
feeling” and I said I can’t lie “I’m a little nervous”---the
butterflies had my stomach tied in a knot. I remember closing my
eyes and hearing a ding. Similar to the gun shot it was the
start of the round, I told myself I got this…. And I indeed had
it. In life you have to be comfortable being uncomfortable. You
have to be comfortable with the idea of failure, because if you
never try, you will never know what you are truly capable of.
Growing up, my parents reiterated the importance of being
well-versed. You never know what information could be useful in
the long run.
From the age of 6-10, I was
a national chess champion. At that age I had no idea the
importance of placing your pieces correctly on the board called
life.
In middle school, I branched out to martial arts where I
competed in over 20 kickboxing matches as well as receiving a
black belt in Shotokan and Kempo Karate. I was a member of my
schools debate team , as well as being a part of the schools
elite cheerleading team.
On my spare time I enjoyed
singing, I was a member of my school's chorus group, where I
later sang the National Anthem for a couple of my earlier
fights. And today, I’m honored to say I officially entered
into 8 years of service. I’m honored to say that I made the
detectives list, making me the first tested Black Female
Detective in the state. I’m thrilled to say,
I won
the All New England Golden Gloves and later winning Bronze
at the National Golden Gloves competition. I train out of
Bishops Gym with the help of my coaches Dave Keefe and Josh
Lemar.
People always ask me what my goals are in life. And they’re
shocked when I say “to have the audacity”. My goal in life is to
treat myself like someone I love. “Special Kay” is a drug that
suppresses depression. I want to be my own drug to constantly
show up for me mentally , physically, emotionally, and
psychologically. To be bold and willing to take risks. I would
say my dream is to be a World Champion. But to me, that’s
alludes to having doubt. And so we’re clear: I don’t have any
doubts … I know I’m going to be the Light Weight Champion of the
world. Monsters don’t live under our beds , they live in our
head. In other words , you are the creator to your own reality.
Paint what ever picture you want. And remember you will never
paint a masterpiece by painting someone else’s picture of your
life.
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