BOXING: A SPORT FOR ALL

Walking into a bustling boxing gym for the first time can be a daunting experience. Dozens of sweating, grunting men, and a few women, thump bags, whack pads and belt each other in the ring. There’s the stink of sweat and leather, the whir of skipping ropes. Posters on the wall tell the stories of champions past, the blood on the canvas testifies to the price paid on the path to glory.

It’s sensory overload. As a beginner, it’s hard to imagine fitting in. But in a good gym, you’ll quickly feel welcome. While you practice throwing a jab in the mirror – over and over again – you sense a connection to the seasoned boxers who unleash devastating combos on the bag. They might be miles ahead of you, but you’re on the same road.

I was lucky to train at such welcoming boxing gyms – first with Ross Willis at Parramatta PCYC, then with Don Abnett and Garry Wasson at the Blue Cattle Dog Gym in St Marys. In those gyms, it didn’t matter what your background was or what you did for a living. It didn’t even matter if you were a national champion or a complete novice. What was important was that you were there to learn, train hard, and show respect to other fighters doing the same.

It might be thanks to that introduction to boxing that I’ve always felt it’s a sport for everyone, regardless of age, sex or sporting background. Doing personal training in Rushcutters Bay Park, the people I work with include teenagers and pensioners, former footballers and current netballers, office workers and tradies.

Lightweight champ Louise Adler & Joe Rivers, 1926

Some clients start training with a degree of trepidation, unsure how to throw a punch. Others belt the pads so hard and fast, I get a workout myself. Whatever stage they are at, I’m excited to be able to help them and share a little knowledge that I’ve picked up over the years. I’m not looking to train people to climb into the ring, which is a lot of pressure off me, but I am hoping they fall a little bit in love with a sport that has given me so much satisfaction over the last couple of decades.