Paramedic Danielle Kamm stepped into a boxing ring to exchange blows with a St. Louis police officer on the eve of Thanksgiving, Nov. 22.

Kamm was representing Warren County Ambulance District in the annual Guns ‘N Hoses boxing event. Watching the match were an arena full of people at the Scott Trade Center in St. Louis, along with a group of supporters from Warren County’s emergency services. 

“It was incredible. It was pretty exciting,” Kamm said. “Going through my head was how hard I worked to get there. How exciting it was.”

The Guns ‘N Hoses event, sponsored by Budweiser, has been a tradition for 31 years as a major fundraiser for BackStoppers Inc. The nonprofit group provides financial support for the families of first responders who are injured or killed.

Kamm said helping raise money for that cause was on her mind while she was at the arena and in the ring.

“I was also thinking about wanting to win,” she said.

This was Kamm’s first boxing match. She said she got serious about boxing and joined a gym just this January. 

To be able to participate, Kamm had to train with coaches from Guns ‘N Hoses, and had to get approval at a preliminary event. Getting ready for the match required months of conditioning and gym training three times per week, along with a special diet. 

“It’s a lot of training. You’ve got to start early. You’ve got to watch everything you eat,” Kamm said.

Her opponent was Tawanna Simms, an officer with St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Theirs was the 13th match of the night.

“It was a good fight. It was very close. They called it in her favor,” Kamm said.

After it was all done, Kamm said she enjoyed the training, and it was a lot of fun to represent Warren County.

“No promises, but I’ll try to be on next year’s roster.”

Warren County Paramedic Danielle Kamm appears on the jumbo screen during a boxing match at the Scott Trade Center in St. Louis. Kamm participated in the Guns 'N Hoses boxing event to raise money for BackStoppers. Submitted photo.