'Maybe I'm just me'

Twenty years ago, Linda Hamilton thrilled female audience members when her character emerged in the movie “Terminator 2,” doing amazing pull ups with a clearly defined muscular physique, never seen on a woman in a blockbuster movie before. Dallas Malloy, then 14, was impressed and began lifting weights the day after seeing the film.

“I immediately started strength training after seeing that movie and then I saw, “Pumping Iron 2,” starring Bev Francis, who was one of the first really big females from Australia. I kind of patterned myself after her,” Malloy said in an interview after speaking at the recent Burbank International Film Festival.

Since 1991, Malloy has taken an interesting journey down an unconventional road that included boxing, bodybuilding, music and acting.

Malloy describes herself as androgynous, has a noticeably deepened voice from using steroids while she was professionally bodybuilding and is still very muscular with an otherwise petite frame.

“At some point, the words ‘feminine’ and ‘masculine’ just lose meaning, because maybe I’m just me. I’ve wrestled with this complex issue and I’m figuring it out as I continue to learn and grow,” Malloy said.

Malloy made international news headlines in 1993 when, at 16, she sued the U.S. Amateur Boxing Federation for discrimination because it did not allow females to participate in boxing. She won the case and her first sold-out boxing match against a female opponent, which opened the door for American women to participate in the sport.

Malloy’s mother, Marilyn Hilton, was the one who pushed her to contact the ACLU after seeing the amateur boxing rule book, which read, “no female boxer shall compete.” Hilton said she understood her daughter’s passion and drive to compete.

“I was very conflicted about the boxing. I was proud of her for wanting to do something so unique, but I had always felt that boxing was a sleazy sport. I didn’t like it … but I valued her independence over my own thoughts,” Hilton said.

Malloy said she doesn’t remember either of her parents being thrilled about the boxing but they were conservatively supportive because they knew she was going to do it anyway.

Hilton was also astounded by her daughter’s creativity and musical ability. She said Malloy is compulsive and never does anything half way.