She's beating back traumatic memories with devotion to a hard-core sport

Boxing can bea brutal sport, butAmanda Murray says it's helping herescape the ghosts of her past.

The 33-year-old describes herself as being "born with a broken heart" because she wasphysically and sexuallyabusedas a child.

A new CBC Creator Network short film called The Blue Rosetells Murray's story of overcoming childhood traumausing a gruelling training program.

Past trauma

Her father walked out when Murray was a young child and her mother, who is Ojibway, suffered mental health issues.

"She's a wonderful women, very smart and a good mother, but she was schizophrenic and suffered from alcohol addiction and using drugs," Murray said.

"Sometimes, she was a very dangerous woman."

Murray suffered violent beatings and sexual abuse by the men in her mother's life. She bounced between more than a dozen foster homes and ended up living on the streets in her late teens.

Being a role model

She eventually moved to British Columbia, where she had a pivotal encounter with her then boyfriend's12-year-old daughterwho was sexually assaulted and wanted to commit suicide.

"It hit me really hard because I grew up experiencingsexual assault and violence," Murray said.

"As a parent figure, I was angry and I was hurt and I thought 'What could I have done to prevent this?' "

That's when she took up martial artsin the hopes of being a better role model.

"I got her involved in boxing and ended up joining also," Murray said.

"At the end of the class, I ended up crying because it was such an emotional release for me."

Murray signed up for more classes,later taking upmixed martial artstraining and a healthier lifestyle.

"I was trying to empower myself as much as I can by acquiring skills and becoming this bad ass woman," Murray said.

"I want her to see that and I want her to know that she can do anything. She's strong."

The film'stitle, The Blue Rose, represents agentler side of Murray'spath forward.

"I remember the first time that I saw a The Blue Rose was maybe six years ago," she said. "Blue is the colour of healing."