The latest
Monday Mar 4, 2019
Rock 'N Rumble IX: Dan Findley
During the coming months, we’ll be highlighting our fighters in training for the upcoming Rock ‘N Rumble IX in Boston on May 15th. They’ve committed to four months of fundraising and training in preparation to get in the ring and literally fight for a cure. Whether their mom is battling, their father has passed or their friend has put up a victory against the disease – they’ve all got a story to tell and they’ve all got a reason to fight. Below you’ll hear from Dan Findley, fighting out of EverybodyFights.Where are you from? Duxbury, MAWhere’d you go to college? Bowdoin College Did you play any sports growing up? Hockey and BasketballWhat do you do for work? Representative for a Mutual Insurance Company Why boxing? Did you ever picture yourself fighting? Never. If you ask anyone that knows me, I am as non-confrontational as they come. That does not mean I haven't had my fair share of scraps on the ice. Why on earth did you sign up to fight?? I had the chance to speak with Haymakers alumni through my time training at EverybodyFights. After hearing how they pushed themselves beyond what they thought was possible, performed on a stage unlike any they had before, and fought to raise money for people who are in the fight of their lives, I knew I wanted to sign up. You’re stepping in the ring to literally fight for a cure - where are you drawing your inspiration from? How has cancer affected you? Cancer affects everyone. Personally, I have not battled cancer, however I have friends and family who have. I am fighting for them, but I am also fighting for the millions of people who are battling, have battled, and will battle this disease.What is going to be the most difficult thing to give up during your training? (beer, cheeseburgers, time spent watching TV?) Red Wine. Pure and simple.When you’re not throwing punches and training -- what other hobbies/interests do you have? I enjoy skiing, golf, hockey, traveling, volunteering.Who do you think is the most excited to watch you get punched in the face come fight night? My BossCheck out his fundraising page and be sure to wish him luck! Best of luck, Dan!
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Monday Mar 4, 2019
Rock 'N Rumble IX: Mike Boles
During the coming months, we’ll be highlighting our fighters in training for the upcoming Rock ‘N Rumble IX in Boston on May 15th. They’ve committed to four months of fundraising and training in preparation to get in the ring and literally fight for a cure. Whether their mom is battling, their father has passed or their friend has put up a victory against the disease – they’ve all got a story to tell and they’ve all got a reason to fight. Below you’ll hear from Mike Boles, fighting out of Boxygen.Where are you from? London, Ontario, CanadaWhere’d you go to college? Suffolk University Did you play any sports growing up? HockeyWhat do you do for work? Medical Device Sales/High School Hockey Coach Why boxing? Did you ever picture yourself fighting? I’ve always been intrigued with boxing but never thought I’d actually fight in a real match. Why on earth did you sign up to fight?? I think it’s a great cause and a truly unique experience. You’re stepping in the ring to literally fight for a cure - where are you drawing your inspiration from? How has cancer affected you? My grandfather passed away from Leukemia in 2005. He was a pilot in the Royal Air Force during WWll and spent his 18th through 21st birthdays in a German POW camp after being shot down. He survived those horrible conditions and terrible odds flying a bomber during WWll but it was cancer that got him. Even though he lived a full life passing at the age of 83, I couldn’t help but be pissed off that cancer took him from us because he was still so with it and active. He definitely had a few fun years left to spend with us.Some of the people I’ll be drawing inspiration from during this are: Lauren Devine, Doug Daigler, & “The Captain” Roy Snow. I’m also fighting for friends and anyone currently battling cancer as well as the nurses and other medical workers who work long hours and often give up holidays with their own families to help patients fight their battle.What is going to be the most difficult thing to give up during your training? (beer, cheeseburgers, time spent watching TV?) All of that stuff.When you’re not throwing punches and training -- what other hobbies/interests do you have? Right now when I’m not training or working you can find me at Pilgrim Arena coaching hockey. I’m one of the assistant coaches for the Hingham High School boys varsity hockey team.Who do you think is the most excited to watch you get punched in the face come fight night? Probably Ben Zahner.Check out his fundraising page and be sure to wish him luck! Best of luck, Mike!
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Tuesday Feb 26, 2019
Not Into Fighting
Steve Gill’s wife Gina is not into fighting. Not by any stretch of the imagination.“She’s the kind of person who can’t even watch fighting on television,” Steve says, “She can’t watch a movie that has someone getting hit. We watch happy comedies all the time because we can’t watch anything else. If I’m watching Game of Thrones, she can’t even be anywhere around me or see anything.”So to hear Steve describe what he remembers from being in the ring on November 15, 2018 is nothing if not hilariously unexpected. “In the second round, I was bleeding. A lot. I’m a bleeder. I’d get popped in the nose with a jab and I’d just start bleeding. After getting hit a few times, I went over to the doctor at the side of the ring to get patched up. There’s blood from my nose. A cut under my eye. I’m totally fine, but just bled a lot. I couldn’t help it.”He compares that moment to a car crash from a movie. Everything slows down. Hundreds of people scream at him from the side of the ring, but their shouts seem distant, miles away. Lights flash. The referee’s hands wave in slow motion. He sees his father, his brothers, his friends and coworkers shouting their support from a nearby table outside the ring. Steve’s mother desperately attempts to throw cloth napkins from the tabletop into the ring to stop the fight as Security gently discourages her from doing so. She ignores them, and tries to send the place-settings flying over their heads. Steve recalls feeling like he was outside of himself, barely sure of what was going on.It was then that a blurred figure walked across the ring toward him and came into focus. It was Gina.“KICK HIS ASS!” she bellowed to her husband in a tone fit for one destined to one day seize and occupy the Iron Throne of Westeros. …….Gina is a mother, and while it might not be of dragons, anyone with two children can certainly attest to the fact that it definitely can feel that way sometimes. Their first child, Aidan, was a honeymoon baby. Steve and Gina were married in April and their son Aidan was born in February. They moved to the Jersey Shore and when Aidan was only eighteen months old, his little sister Amber came along. Managing two children under the age of two is nothing if not stressful and to add to that, Gina began having trouble breastfeeding their daughter on one side. In trying to figure out what was wrong, she discovered another problem altogether.A tumor.Their daughter was less than three weeks old.“We were in total shock,” Steve recalls. “Everything that had come or was coming our way up to that point was a positive. Marriage, a new home, the kids, I was starting my MBA. All great stuff. Just upper, upper, upper. And then, like that…”He doesn’t need to finish his thought. As someone raising two children myself, it’s hard to find words that could accurately portray the crushing weight of adding something like a cancer diagnosis to an already full load. And it wasn’t just one tumor. After a number of tests, there were revealed to be five tumors. While it may seem difficult to imagine finding the strength to confront this horrible new reality, Steve makes it clear that there was never any shortage of strength available to them.“We both come from big families,” he explains, “not just size-wise, but support-wise. We had so much support. Gina’s friends would fly in from California to help out, because they knew how difficult it was. Her family, my family, my brothers and their wives. Everyone came to help. To not have that and go through something like this… it would have been tough. I was going to get my MBA and I remember thinking it was all too much and I considered stopping, but Gina said no. Keep going. Don’t let this get in the way of that. It will keep us busy. And she was so right. Our kids kept us busy. My school kept me busy. The busier we were, the less time there was to worry.”“We had to keep moving forward. That was important. Imagining her not being around for landmark events and weddings down the road was one thing, but what really kept us going was more immediate. The kids growing up, five-six-seven-eight-nine-ten. There was that realization that we had to stay positive. And Gina is so positive. She has this super high energy and that’s just the way she thinks. It was so good that she has that mindset.”.......Despite Gina’s aversion to aggression and violence, now that she is cancer free, there wasn’t much she could say to dissuade Steve from taking on the challenge of getting in the ring to fight against cancer. The way he saw it, as someone who had been affected by cancer, how could she not understand and support Steve’s mission to make a difference? She came around to the idea of course, even appearing in the ring between rounds on fight night, walking the perimeter of the ring with the round-card before making her way over to her husband to provide him with those three shouted words of support. With Mom on board, I wondered to Steve how his children interpreted the photos their dad would show them of himself, his hair wild and his nose caked in blood.“They didn’t really get it at first, but after showing Aidan pictures of me all bloodied, he wanted to come with me to a sparring session. It was early on a Sunday morning and I took him to the Church Street Gym. It’s a well-known gym, but no frills. High ceilings. Smells like shit. Hot as hell. Everyone is dripping in sweat and you can hear the trains rumble as they passed nearby, underground. It was wild watching him taking it all in, looking around the place. Eventually, I begin to spar. He’s watching me in there, hitting, getting hit. I could see him actually getting it, what his dad was doing.”“Aidan’s very reserved. He’s sensitive. So for him to see me do that and to watch him get excited about it and see me do something that he had never seen me do before? I was proud. I felt like I was showing him that I could do anything. Like, who am I do decide to do this? If I could do this, then I hope he could see that he could do anything too.”And even though Aidan is equal parts his mother and father, I’d like to think that in that moment, watching his father fight, the side of him that he got from his violence-averse mother would shine through. Not so much the part that can’t bear to watch someone throw a punch at another person, but instead the part that might bring him to whisper under his breath:“Kick his ass, Dad.”Written by Chris Randa
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Monday Feb 25, 2019
Rock 'N Rumble IX: Crandon Leahy
During the coming months, we’ll be highlighting our fighters in training for the upcoming Rock ‘N Rumble IX in Boston on May 15th. They’ve committed to four months of fundraising and training in preparation to get in the ring and literally fight for a cure. Whether their mom is battling, their father has passed or their friend has put up a victory against the disease – they’ve all got a story to tell and they’ve all got a reason to fight. Below you’ll hear from Crandon Leahy, fighting out of EverybodyFights.Where are you from? Boston, MAWhere’d you go to college? Quinnipiac University Did you play any sports growing up? Yes, I annoyed my parents a lot, so they signed me up for anything they could.What do you do for work? Fixed Income Sales Why boxing? Did you ever picture yourself fighting? It is a great workout and unlike any I have done before. I never pictured myself fighting but after experiencing previous H4H events I knew it was something I wanted to do. Why on earth did you sign up to fight?? I see it as a way to help raise money for a great cause, that layers on tough physical and mental challenges. Bonus is to prove to my friends I'm not "soft", but the jury is still out on if that will work. You’re stepping in the ring to literally fight for a cure - where are you drawing your inspiration from? How has cancer affected you? I have had a few family members and close friends battle cancer and I have seen the strength it takes to fight through it. I hope to match a small percentage of that in this journey.What is going to be the most difficult thing to give up during your training? (beer, cheeseburgers, time spent watching TV?) Tough question, however I bet it's going to punch me in the face when I figure out it out (pun intended).When you’re not throwing punches and training -- what other hobbies/interests do you have? I enjoy taking trips to go see close family and friends, skiing, and coaching for a local lacrosse club on the weekends.Who do you think is the most excited to watch you get punched in the face come fight night? The list is too long to dive into.Check out his fundraising page and be sure to wish him luck! Best of luck, Crandon!
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Monday Feb 25, 2019
Rock 'N Rumble IX: Derek Skapars
During the coming months, we’ll be highlighting our fighters in training for the upcoming Rock ‘N Rumble IX in Boston on May 15th. They’ve committed to four months of fundraising and training in preparation to get in the ring and literally fight for a cure. Whether their mom is battling, their father has passed or their friend has put up a victory against the disease – they’ve all got a story to tell and they’ve all got a reason to fight. Below you’ll hear from Derek Skapars, fighting out of Bancroft Boxing.Where are you from? Framingham, Massachusetts Where’d you go to college? Arizona state university Did you play any sports growing up? Lacrosse.What do you do for work? Industrial arts teacher. Why boxing? Did you ever picture yourself fighting? Just went for it. Sometimes I just need to refresh my life by doing something cool. Why on earth did you sign up to fight?? To remember my brother. You’re stepping in the ring to literally fight for a cure - where are you drawing your inspiration from? How has cancer affected you? Lost my brother to lung cancer in 2005.What is going to be the most difficult thing to give up during your training? (beer, cheeseburgers, time spent watching TV?) Candy. Cake.When you’re not throwing punches and training -- what other hobbies/interests do you have? Kayaking. Furniture making. Time with loved ones.Who do you think is the most excited to watch you get punched in the face come fight night? DadCheck out his fundraising page and be sure to wish him luck! Best of luck, Derek!
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Monday Feb 25, 2019
Rumble in the Rockies II: Kristi Gray
During the coming months, we’ll be highlighting our fighters in training for the upcoming Rumble in the Rockies II in Denver, CO on June 6th. They’ve committed to four months of fundraising and training in preparation to get in the ring and literally fight for a cure. Whether their mom is battling, their father has passed or their friend has put up a victory against the disease – they’ve all got a story to tell and they’ve all got a reason to fight. Below you’ll hear from Kristi Gray, fighting out of Lace Up Boxing Club.Where are you from? Marshfield, MassachusettsWhere’d you go to college? Merrimack College, Colorado Mountain College Did you play any sports growing up? I played lacrosse and field hockey.What do you do for work? I ski patrol on Snowmass Mountain. I'm a first responder on the mountain to the injured, getting them to a higher level of care safely, and I help with avalanche mitigation. I am lucky enough to absolutely LOVE my job. Skiing pow and throwing bombs- someone's gotta do it :-) Why boxing? Did you ever picture yourself fighting? I love boxing because it clears my head. It feels like all the stress leaves my body and enters the bag the moment I make contact. In explaining this to my brother who is also a fighter, he replied, "Yeah, imagine how good it feels to hit a human." (insert laughing/crying emoji here!) I did not EVER actually think I would know that feeling. Or the feeling of being hit. But I have gotten a small taste of it so far and both are oddly, unsuspectingly, addicting and very empowering. Why on earth did you sign up to fight?? I signed up to fight to prove to myself that I could. To commit to something. To work towards and accomplish something big. I signed up to fight to show myself that I could take something scary and turn it into something incredible. I want to be living proof to all of those people out there diagnosed with cancer that they too can fight and that there is hope to turn their scary situations into an opportunity as well. I am also fortunate enough to have an inspiring coach who believes in me. She knows I can, and when I am at my wits end, she reminds me of that. Having someone like that in your corner is powerful. You’re stepping in the ring to literally fight for a cure - where are you drawing your inspiration from? How has cancer affected you? My inspiration are the children of the Shining Stars. I have been fortunate enough to work with the Shining Stars regularly on the mountain and the optimism I see in those kids is truly something to aspire to. Instead of using their circumstances as an excuse to be bitter, these kids are living each day to the fullest and are so grateful for what they have. If we were all able to do a little bit more of that I think the world would be a better place. They are my inspiration.What is going to be the most difficult thing to give up during your training? (beer, cheeseburgers, time spent watching TV?) My social life. It will be by far the most difficult thing for me to give up but it is also the aspect of my life I am looking most forward to giving up. I am constantly giving my time away to others and have such a hard time saying 'no' to people, but I am pumped to be able to finally say no to a social life so that I can focus on something that I really want for me and for those I'm fighting for.When you’re not throwing punches and training -- what other hobbies/interests do you have? I am a very passion driven person and when my heart is in something, as it is in Haymakers for Hope, there is very little stopping me. Skiing is one of my biggest passions in life. I have revolved my life around it- from where I live, to what I do for work, to who I spend my free time with, what I spend my money on, down to what I eat. The feeling I get charging through steep pow is indescribable and nothing makes me happier. I also like live music and enjoy cooking.Who do you think is the most excited to watch you get punched in the face come fight night? Oh man, is there a maximum number of characters when answering this question? Ha! I think probably my brother. In the most loving way possible that is. He is a man of few words, but he is proud of me for being a part of Haymakers for Hope. He'll be cheering when I get punched in the face. But you bet your ass he'll be cheering twice as hard when I punch the other fighter in the face.Be sure to check out her fundraising page and wish her! Best of luck, Krist
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Monday Feb 25, 2019
Rumble in the Rockies II: Colleen Hartigan
During the coming months, we’ll be highlighting our fighters in training for the upcoming Rumble in the Rockies II in Denver, CO on June 6th. They’ve committed to four months of fundraising and training in preparation to get in the ring and literally fight for a cure. Whether their mom is battling, their father has passed or their friend has put up a victory against the disease – they’ve all got a story to tell and they’ve all got a reason to fight. Below you’ll hear from Colleen Hartigan, fighting out of Blunt Force Training.Where are you from? West Boylston, MAWhere’d you go to college? Endicott College Did you play any sports growing up? I played soccer, basketball, ice hockey, and softball up until college.What do you do for work? I'm the Event Logistics Manager for Footers Catering. I work closely with our sales team to help them with logistics for their events. Why boxing? Did you ever picture yourself fighting? I always had an itch to try a boxing class because I knew it would be a challenge and a great workout. I never pictured myself actually fighting someone, though. When I heard about Haymakers for Hope, I thought it was such a unique experience that I had to give it a shot. Why on earth did you sign up to fight?? Aside from raising money for an amazing cause, I signed up because I wanted to challenge myself and do something completely out of my comfort zone. Every alumni that I've talked to said it has changed their outlook on life and I wanted something that was unique and could inspire others to challenge themselves as well. You’re stepping in the ring to literally fight for a cure - where are you drawing your inspiration from? How has cancer affected you? Cancer sucks, man. So many of my friends and immediate family members have been affected by it and it hurts me that there's nothing I can really do except support them. It has put some of my friends lives completely on hold and has challenged them in ways they didn't imagine. I wanted to give back in the slightest way by letting them know they aren't alone in this fight and will hopefully get their minds off of treatments and doctor appointments by watching my progress in boxing over the next couple months.What is going to be the most difficult thing to give up during your training? (beer, cheeseburgers, time spent watching TV?) I'm honestly really sad to be putting my other gym membership on pause for training. They always have fun challenges going on and it is really a community feel that I will miss most. And tequila.When you’re not throwing punches and training -- what other hobbies/interests do you have? I loooove music. I go to a lot of live music shows. I also love to hike, travel, find new coffee spots, and hang out with my friends.Who do you think is the most excited to watch you get punched in the face come fight night? My friend Johnny is pretty fired up that I got chosen, haha! He is overall a very enthusiastic person so I know he'll be excited to see my progress over the months and will definitely be supporting me on fight night.Be sure to check out her fundraising page and wish her! Best of luck, Colleen!
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Wednesday Feb 20, 2019
This Will Be My Way
Growing up in Massachusetts, the children from my hometown of Sherborn and the children from the adjacent town, Dover, merged into a single grade in Middle School. Our towns were small and intimate, and so for our social world to suddenly double was jarring and intimidating. Who were these other pint-sized strangers? For me, awkward and with a brand new set of braces slapped on, the tribal merge was hard to take. I don’t think I talked to any of the “new kids” for the first few weeks. What would I say?Then one day, I was paired up for a geography project with a Dover-kid named Ryan Skapars.I hadn’t had a friend over to my house that I hadn’t already known since kindergarten before, and to this day I clearly remember having Ryan over off the school bus to work on the project. A somewhat anxious kid, I wasn’t sure what to say or how to approach the task at hand. He was from Dover after all, which at the time to me might as well have been New Zealand. But Ryan was easy and confident, loud and likable. He wasn’t nervous about being at someone’s house for the first time, or what grade we might get on the project, or about anything at all.Following his lead, we went on to produce a truly abhorrent attempt at conveying information about the Congo to our class. If I recall correctly, we made strange voices for poorly constructed hand-puppet animals from behind a cardboard-cutout stage, providing factually-suspect information about the landscape, exports, and climate of the region. It was like a demented and unrehearsed version of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood of Make Believe. No one learned a thing, but it somehow went well, and we received laughter and applause. The energy and lack of inhibition that Ryan displayed as we presented got us a grade that we didn’t deserve and I’ll always remember it. It was a lesson in confidence..........I have a lot of really fond memories of Ryan Skapars. Anyone that knew him does.Ryan was the kid that somehow struck the right balance of being both disruptive and endearing in a classroom, to the point where the teacher couldn’t help but smile despite themself. At a time in my life when I wasn’t getting invited to a lot of places, Ryan somewhat unexpectedly invited me to a Super Bowl party at his house. Just being invited somewhere meant a lot and I made new friends at that party with some “Dover kids” who remain some of my very best friends to this day.I remember being in the locker room after gym class in 7th grade and watching with laughter as Ryan relentless smashed a calculator to bits and pieces as our friend Zack sang Smashing Pumpkins “Bullet with Butterfly Wings”. Despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in a cage... I still laugh when I think of that moment. Later on in high school, once we all procured drivers licenses, Ryan emerged as the preeminent car guy, always working on his Firebird, owning the road. I’ll never forget the time a group of us had gone to see Tom Petty. Ryan was prone to displays of exaggerated road-rage, and I recall him swerving through the gridlock of parking lot traffic as we tried to leave the venue, shouting colorful expletives at strangers blocking the way and leaning out the window to brandish and wave an oversized mechanics-wrench of some sort at anyone attempting to merge in front of us. I’d like to think he was putting on a show to entertain us, but he sure waved that thing around like he meant it.Sadly, among his family and friends, there would come a memory of Ryan Skapars that none of us can ever forget.Attending his funeral. Ryan died from Fibrosarcoma in 2005, just twenty-two years old. When all of us, his childhood friends, graduated from Dover-Sherborn High School in 2001 and went off to college, Ryan was tasked with fighting against what was happening in his own body. His friends never abandoned him though, and many of them, especially guys like Matt Perdoni, Will Urmston and Andrew Myerson, went above and beyond in being there for Ryan, in person, right to the end. After Ryan passed on, an annual football game among his friends was established in his memory and held the day after Christmas. Fourteen years later, that same game remains, most of the players who had been there from the outset having never missed a match despite living all over the country. Back in the day, Ryan was the punter on the Dover-Sherborn football team, and thus a punt-on-every-fourth-down rule was established. We always pick teams the same way, with each person throwing a shoe or hat or glove into a pile and Matt Perdoni closing his eyes and distributing the items into two teams to the left and right. Every year, the usual suspects bring along new friends and family to play in the Holiday Bowl, and in doing so, the legend of Ryan Skapars lives on and touches the lives of new people even fourteen years after he’s been gone. This past year, Matt, who makes sure this annual game keeps on happening and whose father Rock is often the referee, made official shirts for everyone that display SKAPARS on the back and feature his old number: #67. I can speak for everyone who plays in that game when I say it is chief among our holiday priorities. It’s so important to all of us........It’s February 7th, 2019 and I’m sitting on a couch across from Ryan’s older brother Derek. We haven’t seen each other since high school and while I never knew him like I knew his little brother, when you come from the same small town like we did, there’s a familiarity built in from the shared context of your youth. Plus, his girlfriend, Hilary, is there with us. She was in the same grade as Ryan and I and we recall a morning in 5th grade when she and I coordinated to wear matching outfits: DS-blue soccer shorts, our black D.A.R.E. t-shirts, and black Adidas sneakers. We really made a difference of some kind that day.In reminiscing, the subject of the football game played in his little brother’s honor also comes up, along with the fact that Derek has never joined us to play in it, something that I’d always wondered about.“I didn’t want to intrude on ‘the friends’. Everyone dealt with his passing their own way. I’m honored that you guys still do this. It’s a big deal. It’s touching. It’s amazing. It’s a DS crew that knows the DS story. It’s so great. And it wasn’t exactly like I wasn’t going on purpose. It was really just that I wanted to let Ryan’s friends do it their way, you know? But recently, I started asking myself: what’s my way?”“Oh, it’s been fun,” Hilary laughs, chiming in. “His way. Out of nowhere, I’ll hear ‘The next fighter! Fighting from the red corner!’ and then here he comes down the stairs and it’s like, ‘Alright bud. Let’s slow it down here.’”Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of time for slowing down. Derek was a late acceptance for this upcoming May’s Haymakers for Hope event in Boston and as a result his trainer Jared at Bancroft Boxing hasn’t been wasting any time getting down to business. “I’ve been at this for three weeks and he’s already thrown me into the ring fifteen times,” Derek tells me. “I’ve already drawn blood at the gym. Been hit hard in the nose three times. But Jared knows the deal. We’ve got a few months to get there. There’s no time to clown around.”Having interviewed a large enough sample size of Haymakers fighters, I know that having sparred that much in the first few weeks is not exactly protocol. In both the literal and figurative meanings of the phrase, Derek has had to come out swinging.“The second time they put me in the ring, I heard Jared say to his buddy, ‘Look at this guy on day five. He’s just going for it. He’s not scared.’ He likes that I’m not afraid to get hit. I’m like a wild animal. He always tells me that 90% of going into a fight at this extreme level is nerves. Once you can get past the nerves, then you can fight. So I’m going to do my best to have minimized the nerves. I don’t plan to freeze up. I don’t just want to fight for a good cause. I want to fight for a good cause and win.”If there’s one thing I’m learning, if you’re looking for a lesson in confidence, find a Skapars.I wonder if this inherent confidence stems from any sort of background in boxing or anything like it. I remember playing lacrosse with both Ryan and Derek in high school. On the field Derek was nothing if not scrappy and wild. “I mean, as a kid I did Tae Kwon Do. But that’s all footwork and kicks. It’s a different style. And that ended when I was thirteen. I’m thirty-seven now. There’s a gap.”“Then again, when it comes to fighting experience, there’s always just having brothers. I will say, as big as Ryan got, 220 lbs, six feet tall, I could always win. I could always kick his ass. And he was big. He was tough. I think just by being the older brother there’s power there, but yeah, Ryan and I would push and shove and all that. But it was always out of love. Who with a brother or sister doesn’t have those altercations? But it wasn’t frequent. We were normal.”“That being said, there was one time. We were roughhousing one day. We were young. Maybe twelve. We were going at it, just back and forth. I wasn’t winning. He wasn’t winning. Just really going at it, pushes and punches. Then, Ryan runs up and kicks the lawnmower. This tube that connects the mower part to the bag that holds the grass flies off directly into my face. I had to get three stitches. I still have a scar to this day. So I guess that was a fight that I didn’t win against him. What with the lawn mower part being kicked into my face.”......As part of orientation for Haymaker for Hope, Derek had to make the trip into Dana Farber. He didn’t need to ask for directions.“I feel like I’ve been to Dana Farber hundreds of times. There was I time that I’d be going there often. I’d fly in to be with Ryan at the hospital. But who wouldn’t have? He’s my little brother. It was hard to watch him go through the chemo. The fight lasted forever. He was winning for a while. When you are going through it you don’t want to think the unthinkable. So you just muscle through. I remember the doctor telling us that he had three months. All I could do was hug him and get him the hell out of the hospital. There were better places to be.”“But he ended up proving that doctor wrong. He was going on a full year, but he never wanted to count that as a victory. He wanted to live. He wanted to live to the very end. It wasn’t until three months before that he actually believed he might not end up winning. He never gave up, but at a certain point there’s nothing you can do. He suffocated, because there was just too much tumor in his lungs.”“But I have to say, Ryan really learned a lot from what he went through. His relationship especially with Matt [Perdoni] and Will [Urmston] really taught him what friendship was. It was important for our family to get to take a break, but also know that he was happy being with all you guys. Taking him fishing and stuff like that. That was important. I remember Andrew Myerson and his family planted a tree in his honor. And then for all you guys to have been doing this game for him. His friends really came through.”“I guess that’s why the whole ‘letting you guys have the football game’ thing was so important to me. That was your way. Hearing about that game was really my inspiration for deciding to do this fight for him. ”“This will be my way.” Written By Chris Randa
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Tuesday Feb 19, 2019
Rumble in the Rockies II: Sean Crotty
During the coming months, we’ll be highlighting our fighters in training for the upcoming Rumble in the Rockies II on June 6th. They’ve committed to four months of fundraising and training in preparation to get in the ring and literally fight for a cure. Whether their mom is battling, their father has passed or their friend has put up a victory against the disease – they’ve all got a story to tell and they’ve all got a reason to fight. Below you’ll hear from Sean Crotty, fighting out of Ultimate Combat Training Center.Where are you from? Dayton, OH by way of Salt Lake City.Where’d you go to college? Mount St. Joseph Did you play any sports growing up? Football & HockeyWhat do you do for work? Business Owner and Board Chair for Foundation (The Red Fred Project) Why boxing? Did you ever picture yourself fighting? Not at all. I'm a sensitive soul. I was always be the rational one in my family and amongst my friends. I'm the guy that suggested we all sit down to celebrate our differences over a hookah or some self-development activity. I've always been the fella who was breaking up the fight and telling everyone to take a breath. Why on earth did you sign up to fight?? This is a beautiful opportunity to raise awareness for the foundation I serve as the board chair for. I also have managed public health programs in developing countries where blood diseases literally have ZERO funding in most areas. As part of the responsibility for what I have seen is to spread education and awareness. You’re stepping in the ring to literally fight for a cure - where are you drawing your inspiration from? How has cancer affected you? I have been fortunate to find family all over the world. I have had family suffer from lack of funding for their disease or a broken medical model that treats symptoms and not the actual disease. These days are done for me and frankly, I will do whatever the hell I have to find funding and educate the general public on what is happening all over the world.What is going to be the most difficult thing to give up during your training? (beer, cheeseburgers, time spent watching TV?) I don't look at it like this. This isn't an attempt at martyrdom. It's a no bullshit answer. It won't be difficult if you draw an honest parallel on why we are doing this. I can suck up any discomforts for a temporary time in order to have the results of this journey. That result is fundraising for our foundation. It's not about what I am going through. This is outcome based. Not eating a pizza or drinking an IPA isn't a thing. We are granted luxuries on a daily basis.When you’re not throwing punches and training -- what other hobbies/interests do you have? Being in the mountains has always been really cathartic. Backcountry skiing with my partner and trying to keep up with her. She is my rock. I like activities that scare the shit out of me. Boxing is no different. Bad guitar playing, reading, mountain biking and other mountain activities. I'm a serial hobbyist and would take up crochet classes if it came into my frame. I also babytalk my dog up to 60 mins a day, so there's that.Who do you think is the most excited to watch you get punched in the face come fight night? I love this question. I would assume the family of the fella I will be fighting. I'm a sensitive dude so there's a strong possibility I will find his wife and mother after and apologize. I'm dead serious.Check out his fundraising page and be sure to wish him luck! Best of luck, Sean!
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Tuesday Feb 19, 2019
Rumble in the Rockies II: Nikki Chernick
During the coming months, we’ll be highlighting our fighters in training for the upcoming Rumble in the Rockies II on June 6th. They’ve committed to four months of fundraising and training in preparation to get in the ring and literally fight for a cure. Whether their mom is battling, their father has passed or their friend has put up a victory against the disease – they’ve all got a story to tell and they’ve all got a reason to fight. Below you’ll hear from Nikki Chernick, fighting out of The Corner Boxing Club.Where are you from? New YorkWhere’d you go to college? Penn State Did you play any sports growing up? Basketball, Volleyball and LacrosseWhat do you do for work? Graduate Student at CU Boulder studying Environmental Sustainability Why boxing? Did you ever picture yourself fighting? Actually... yes! This is something I have always been interested in trying and never got around to. I'd love to try Jiu Jitsu and Krav Maga as well. Why on earth did you sign up to fight?? Selfishly, I want to challenge myself and prove to myself that I can put my all into this journey and come out a stronger and better person for it. People with cancer don't have this choice - they HAVE to fight every single day whether they want to or not, and I want to fight alonside them. You’re stepping in the ring to literally fight for a cure - where are you drawing your inspiration from? How has cancer affected you? I have seen so many people suffer through this horrifying disease, and many haven't made it. People I love have been broken because of it. Cancer doesn't have a preference - it comes for the young and the innocent, even those who haven't learned to walk yet. Simply put, it's not fair. I am fighting for the people who didn't have a chance to fight themselves.What is going to be the most difficult thing to give up during your training? (beer, cheeseburgers, time spent watching TV?) Time! As a graduate student with four jobs, time will be my biggest challenge.When you’re not throwing punches and training -- what other hobbies/interests do you have? Mostly, I love to learn. I love learning about human behavior, ecology, nature, economics, and most of all cool innovations happening around the world in order to make it a better place. I love to travel and explore new places, especially when I get to go hiking and camping. Bonus points if I can bring my dog, Russell. When I have time, I like to do crafty things like paint, knit, and make things out of wood!Who do you think is the most excited to watch you get punched in the face come fight night? My mom, so she can say "I told you so".Check out her fundraising page and be sure to wish her luck! Best of luck, Nikki!
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