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Thursday Jun 14, 2018
“HEY, DO YOU FEEL LIKE DOING HAYMAKERS FOR HOPE WITH ME?”
“It's a commitment for both people to do this if you are married or in a relationship. When your spouse comes home and says, 'I think I'd like to do Haymakers for Hope', I think that the statement should probably be translated to '"Hey, do you feel like doing Haymakers for Hope with me?" because your spouse is in it as well.” - Chris FitzpatrickWhen Margie Kelley signed up for Belles of the Brawl 2013, she and her husband, Chris Fitzpatrick (Rock-n-Rumble 2015), saw the experience as a challenge for the entire family. They have two children. Margie knew she couldn’t succeed without their support. The supporting spouse is an integral part of the fighter’s team, and it is no easy job. Chris committed, and held down the fort, which allowed Margie to focus on her training and her personal fight against cancer. Haymakers for Hope, whose mission is to KO cancer by literally fighting for a cure, produces amateur charity boxing events, currently in Boston and New York City. Fighters like Margie fundraise and have helped Haymakers for Hope (H4H) to raise over $4.3 million to fund important research. Then the tables turned. Chris asked Margie to do Haymakers with him! “When Chris started training, we got in the groove of our swapped roles fairly quickly. It was great to be able to talk about training in a new way because now we both knew what it was like to be pushed so hard. I think I was able to help him to know what to expect, and he also got to experience and appreciate all that I'd accomplished in training camp. I was also just so excited for him, knowing how amazing the experience was going to be for him.”They were able to appreciate both roles, and what they had done for each other. Margie says “the H4H experience was definitely a new way to connect and celebrate each other's accomplishments”. Her advice for other couples entering the ring? “Try and remember what it was like for you, either as the fighter or support staff, because in the next event, that's gonna be the other person's job!”Two other power couples have strengthened, and maybe tested, their vows by sharing the Haymakers experience. Katie “Braveheart” Sullivan fought in the original Belles of the Brawl in 2013 with Margie. Her husband, Dan, and their four children spent the long summer supporting Katie in her training. Soon after Katie’s bout, Dan decided that he also wanted to do Haymakers. “The energy that I felt during the event, the new friends that she met from the gym- becoming great friends because of the journey that they endured - were big reasons for me to do this. I’ve always cherished my college athletic years as an amazing bond of teamwork - friends trying to get better, and I craved this sense of the “locker room” feel that I had in my 20’s. I could also see the huge sense of accomplishment that she felt. I knew that I wanted to share that with her for the rest of our lives, and it wouldn’t come from doing a marathon or a Tough Mudder event. It had to be a difficult journey that would help me grow.” Dan went on to fight in Rock -n- Rumble 2014. The Sullivans were in training for a year and raised over $42,000!Reflecting on their fight year they now wonder how they managed since these days it seems to be a challenge just to find the time for a workout. They look back on that special year very positively. The teamwork and emotional discussions are what Dan remembers most. “I was opening up to her like I’ve never done before. I remember one day just being so tired and sore- that I was hoping to come down with a cold so I didn’t have to spar that night, and she talked me through it.” Having a spouse who has been through what you’re experiencing is very helpful and bonding. Knowing that they “get it” is sometimes all that you need. Katie says that although they had nearly identical emotions throughout the journey they coped very differently. “Dan didn’t cry!”. Seeing your spouse work so hard for something and then reach their goal brings forth an overwhelming amount of pride. Watch Dan’s video and you’ll not only hear Katie cheering the loudest, but you’ll actually see her jump up onto the ring in excitement! As for life after H4H, Katie says that their experiences have definitely brought them closer. They have a new bond of both being part of the Haymakers family. There is an additional layer of respect for each other and shared perspective. “We’ve always known we were a great team. Going through this experience, after 20 years together, provided us some great insight. We embarked on the boxing journey for individual reasons but now know that we will support each other no matter what comes our way.” They say that the kids survived, and are definitely more independent because of their busy year in training! Their biggest hope is that they’ve set an example for their children that you can achieve difficult goals, and that it’s important to surround yourself with people who want to see you succeed. Katie and Dan now enjoy watching boxing together. It is something new for them to do that reminds them of their cherished shared experience. You can still find them in the gym sharing a bag, or sparring a new Haymaker every once in a while. Their advice to other couples considering entering the ring? “To have this experience in your household, one that you will always share, is both rare and totally awesome. You quickly get back to normal life after the adrenaline rush of fight night wears off but you know you will always have each other’s back, and it gives you a special family grit to get through all the challenges that you will inevitably face in your future. You choose to do something painful and difficult for four months but in the end, you get a gift that would be impossible to create any other way. Our advice: go for it!”Victoria and Bill Kane also fought in back to back events (Belles 2014 and Rock-n-Rumble 2015). As for their family of four being in training for a year Victoria says that the first half (her training) was easier. (I personally take offense to that as I was her sparring partner. ;) “Bill was really supportive. Still, as more months went by, it meant a lot of time at the gym for the kids, and a lot of single parenting as one of us seemed to be at gym most nights or weekends.”Bill decided he wanted to do it not long after Victoria's fight. “We talked about the commitment and the impact to the family, then decided to go for it. The fact that you raise money for a cause that is close to home (cancer research) added to my desire to give it a try.”Back to back fundraising was not a problem for the Kanes. They raised over $9,000 each! Having paved the way, Victoria feels that she was better able to support Bill because she understood his inability to focus on anything other than training. She knew the routine and understood all the emotions that came with the good nights and bad. They both agree that it was a powerful experience for their entire family. “The kids witnessed their parents pushing themselves to the limits, committing themselves to something they believe in and getting bloodied up. Strangely, I think it was a really positive experience for them and the kids both workout at the gym from time to time.” Their advice to other couples considering fighting? “Do it together if you can and support each other. This is a difficult challenge and it helps to have your significant other in your corner. You'll be better equipped to deal with the day to day. One after the other makes this a really long journey but it's well worth it if you can make it work.” Interestingly, so far in H4H couples history, it has been the woman who fights first. Victoria jokes: “Bill knew I was the tougher one when we started this journey and that still holds true. :)” Boston sign-ups are currently underway for Rock-n-Rumble 2016. Will any spouses be asking “Hey, do you feel like doing Haymakers for Hope with me?”. ***Amy “JP” Fielding is a mom of four who fought in Belles of the Brawl 2013. She discovered a love of writing while blogging her training experience at http://lipstickonmygloves.blogspot.com/. She is now a proud coach at FA Boxing and advisory board member for Haymakers for Hope.
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Thursday Jun 14, 2018
‘Semper Fi’ When Fists Fly
If you want to find Gotham boxing coach and United States Marine Sgt., Mike Castle, check the gym. Whether it’s five a.m. or five hours shy of tomorrow’s five a.m., he’s there for you. He may be barking at you for one more rep—the one that separates winners from their counterparts—or doing mitt-work with two fighters at a time, without ever missing a beat of the Rocky theme-song playing in the background. Or he may be getting punched in the face with a smile, sparring with you just hard enough to keep you honest, and just easy enough to give you confidence in the days leading up to your next fight. Whatever he’s doing, Mike’s there for you. Mike’s loyalty may have been what first drew him to the sport as a child. Boxing was important to the people around him, so it became important to Mike. He was the oldest of five brothers, all two or three years apart, so he felt like he was always fighting from the very start. Both his grandfather and his father were boxers, so there may have been a certain inevitability to it. Mike describes his first experience at a boxing gym in Washington Heights:“I got knocked out the first time I put on a pair of gloves, by my cousin, who was three years older than me and literally half my weight. He knocked me out with a body shot.” I should interject, Mike was a big boy when he was young: with 315 pounds of body weight surrounding him, getting knocked out by a body shot was no small feat. “I woke up on the floor,” he says, “But I came back the next day and fought again.” Years later, Mike’s first trainer told him, “I knew you were a boxer forever, ‘cause most people who get knocked out the first day don’t come back.”Big Mike was hooked. Never one to give up on anything or anyone, boxing became a way for him to give back. It gave so much to his health—helping him to lose over a hundred pounds—and inspired those around him. When people saw the physical transformation and startling weight loss, they started asking Mike to train them. By the age of 15, he was training the other neighborhood kids (and adults!) out of a small gym in Washington Heights. He stood behind his fighters, even back then. “Even though you’re training people, you learn so much about life from the people that you’re training,” Mike explains. There’s a certain dialectic to coaching for him. Mike tells his fighters, “You won’t believe me, but you’re training me more than I’m training you.” For him, that process of mutual learning, of collaboration, is the most meaningful part of training his fighters: “Watching a fighter apply what we’ve learned together, practicing together, fighting together, winning. Together.” Cohesion and teamwork are certainly some of Mike’s finer traits, but let’s not forget about his competitive side. The “first” time I met Mike was right before my own Haymakers fight at the PlayStation Theater (formerly Best Buy Theater) in New York. I was already as nervous as could be; maybe that kind of nervous you can only really be before your first fight, especially in front of a crowd that size. A friend and fellow coach from my gym introduced me to Mike, who was all-smiles and all-jokes with hoards of friends and fighters from the boxing world gathered around him. He gave me one of his signature Big Mike grins, shook my hand, and said it was a pleasure to meet. I told him that we had sort of met once before, at the Haymakers sparring day, where fighters have a chance to spar with their prospective opponents in preparation for the big event. I then told him I would be fighting Joe, who happened to be one of his guys.Mike instantly went from all-smiles to all-business. He looked me straight in the eye and said, “Oh, I’m so sorry man. I’m so sorry for your loved ones that won’t have you around tomorrow, cause Joe is gonna murder you tonight.” I gave him a nervous laugh, shook his hand again (this time with a little less gusto) and went to find a place that may be acceptable to throw up just in case the fear he’d shoved down my throat were to creep back up. Now that I’m close with Mike, we joke about it, but what I’ve never told him is that he really kinda scared the hell out of me that night. And that’s what a great coach does, I think. He fights for his boxers as much as they fight for him. He stands for his people, as I found out, to the (frighteningly) bitter end. After his fighters’ recorded a perfect 8-0 in the recent Haymakers NYC event this past November, there’s a certain renewed faith in Mike’s fighter philosophy and loyalty to the sport. It was probably that same faith that drew Mike to join the Marines at the age of 18, or maybe the Marine’s actually drew it out of him. But either way, Big Mike is Semper Fidelis to the very end. With all of his fighters, he is always faithful, always there. He is one of the most loyal boxing coaches in the game, and the Haymakers For Hope team is certainly lucky to have him in our corner.P.S. Since this article was originally written, Haymakers has learned that Big Mike and his wife, Angelin, are expecting their first child! Be sure to reach out and congratulate him on the new addition to the family!
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Thursday Jun 14, 2018
Fighting into history at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden. They call it the Mecca of boxing, the place where legends are born. Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Robinson, and Rocky Marciano— all have stepped through the ropes at the Garden and into boxing history.Twenty-eight novice fighters joined those legends in a moment of boxing glory on November 19, all for the benefit of Haymakers for Hope. The vibe in the arena and backstage was electric as these bankers and traders and lawyers by-day, cast off their suits and ties and professional selves to don boxing gloves and mouth guards and headgear. The clothing change may have been quick, but the transformation, from Average Joe or Jane to super cancer-fighting hero had been a grueling four months for most, still longer for others. But here was their moment, in this hallowed place, where the knockouts and cheers of old still seemed to echo from wall to wall. It wasn’t lost on a single one of these first-time fighters, either.“Wow!” declared one wide-eyed fighter, as he picked up his fight gear at the check-in table and stepped into the arena where the ring sat empty, dressed in its brand-new Haymakers for Hope canvas. “This is so cool!” he declared, before slipping into a stairwell to seek out his team dressing room.Then a wave of fighters arrived at once and flooded into a backstage lounge to get instructions and ask questions. “We’re getting weighed in our underwear?” asked one. “Do we have to wear these?” asked another, holding up a protective cup he found in a bin that was teeming with them. The answer was a resounding and emphatic “YES.”Once changed, fighters roamed the backstage area as they got weighed and checked by the fight doctor, had their hands wrapped and their photos taken. The vibe was electric with anticipation and no shortage of nerves.“I just weighed in, and it was the lowest I’ve weighed in many years,” said lawyer Philip Kimball, as he finished getting ready. “The training has been life-changing. I have a new and profound appreciation for pro fighters and what they go through to get ready. And to be here, I mean, I walked in and I saw the ring and I said okay it’s really happening. It’s awesome.”“Getting here and seeing the ring makes me feel more comfortable,” said Morgan Collett, an entrepreneur who trained at Church Street Boxing. “It’s like, OK cool, it’s just like sparring, something I’ve done a hundred times in the gym. So I feel ready.”For attorney Larissa Boz, who trained out of Mendez Boxing, walking into the iconic arena left her awestruck. “That’s when it sunk in that this is really going to happen! I’m nervous, excited, amazed and ready to fight!”Equity trader Jessica Marino greeted her opponent, Asmeret Berhe-Lumax, with a big hug and wished her good luck as she headed down a long corridor to get her hands wrapped. “I am so fucking excited,” said Marino, a triathlete who had never boxed prior to training at Gotham Gym for this night. “It’s such a cool event. I’m a competitive athlete, but this is such a different thing for me. It’s almost more exciting. We’re all here, in this together and people are coming—family and friends—to support us. They paid a lot of money for tickets— for charity —and the energy is electric! It’s just an amazing experience. Really, a once-in-a-lifetime experience, I think. I obviously want to go in there and kick some ass, but you don’t know. I never boxed before this, so I’m going in there to do what I learned and just go for it.”For foreign exchange trader Andrew White, coming into Madison Square Garden sparked a flood of emotions. “I’m from across the pond,” said White, who trained at Mendez Boxing. “I’ve seen this place on TV lots of times so it’s exciting. And it’s my first fight so I have lots of emotions going through me right now. I’m just going to keep cool and go with it.”“Overwhelmed” was Jeff Sharon’s feeling when he arrived. “This is my first time in Madison Square Garden,” said the Gotham Gym boxer and real estate broker. “To think I’m fighting where so many professional fighters have fought. It’s humbling. But I’m ready. There’s nothing else to do but fight.”And with that, the time to prepare was over. The ring was bathed in light. The crowd began to cheer. Then, two by two, 28 novice boxers took a swing at cancer, and in doing so, captured a little bit of boxing history for themselves.To see how it all turned out, check here: https://haymakersforhope.org/events/past***Margie Kelley is a mom, freelance writer, master gardener and sometimes boxer. She fought in the 2013 Belles of the Brawl in Boston, and managed to convince her husband, Chris Fitzpatrick, to fight in the Rock ‘n Rumble in May. Settling arguments has taken on a whole new meaning in their house!
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Thursday Jun 14, 2018
Weekly Trip to Combat
Last night the Haymakers team braced the crowded T to North Station to check in with the team working over at Combat Sports. Being right across the street from the Garden, and the final four being in town it was quite the scene. We caught up with Max Lane, Nick Rossi, and Doug Clendenin doing some round robin sparring. Watch out when Max and Nick are going at each other, because that is two big guys going at it! Doug and one of his partners put on a show for a couple rounds, it was some very exciting intense sparring. All we know is, we cannot wait for May 17th to get here so we can see these guys, and all of the other fighters step in the ring to fight for a cure!
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Thursday Jun 14, 2018
Weekly Visit to Fitness Advantage in Medfield
The Haymakers team made their weekly visit last night to Fitness Advantage in Medfield, to check in with Peter Goodall. Peter is working extremely hard, and we can definitely see him transforming into a boxer before our eyes. Every week his improvement is exponential, and we are blown away by the effort that Peter and his trainers are putting in. At 53 Peter is our oldest competitor this year, but I will tell you what, he is in such good shape that he could easily show some of our younger fighters what's up!
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Thursday Jun 14, 2018
Visit to Combat Sports Tuesday Night
Last night the Haymakers team was down by North Station visiting the team at Combat Sports. We have 6 fighters training at Combat, and they are all working extremely hard. I stepped in the ring for a little round robin sparring with the fighters, and I got to say my jaw is a little sore this morning! We are very happy with all the progress the Combat team is making. May 17th at the House of Blues should bring some serious fireworks!Make sure you check out all of the fighters training albums on our Facebook page as well as all their training videos.Combat Sports TeamStephen Affatigato, Doug Clendenin, Janna Gordon, Max Lane, Jamie Martz, and Nick Rossi
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Thursday Jun 14, 2018
Welcome To The Marty Party
“Every Friday this summer we’ve had boxing on the M StreetBeach at 6 a.m.— and it’s mandatory,” says Marty Farrell, one of the leadtrainers at EverybodyFights (EBF) by George Foreman III in South Boston.“At first it was just for the girls who are training forHaymakers (Sam Berdinka, Lara Gibbons, Julia Sarni, Paulina Kozak, LaurenKeenan and Christina Morris), but now the guys in the gym are coming, too. Wehave close to 30 people doing circuit training, mitts, and body armor drills onthe beach. We’re getting thesegirls in phenomenal shape.”Welcome to the “Marty Party”. It’s a workout experience one can only get with Farrell, atireless former Marine and lifelong boxer whose positivity, work ethic anddrive are legend both in and out of the gym. “I’m the oldest trainer in the gym, (they call a couple ofus the “OGs” — old guys) and kind of mentor the other trainers in a fatherlyway,” says Farrell, who was one of a team of trainers that helped GeorgeForeman III open EverybodyFights in the Seaport district in 2014. “We have six girls training for theBelles and each has her own trainer. Then they do two days per week of strengthand conditioning with me.” Farrell grew up boxing, starting at age 12. An amateur for his entire career, hecompeted on the Marine Corps Boxing team as well as in Golden Glovestournaments. As a coach, he’s beenbringing fighters to compete in every type of amateur event and tournament formore than 25 years.But nothing has matched the excitement of preparing fightersfor Haymakers for Hope.“I’ve been in the fight game a very long time,” he says. “Totake someone who’s never done anything like this and train them for four monthsfor this huge fight show with a thousand people watching——it’s justamazing. It can be intimidating,and you have to have a lot of guts to do it.”Farrell’s Haymakers experience runs deep. He fought in the very first Bostonevent in 2011 at the Park Plaza Castle, noting that he was asked to fight in amain event exhibition match. Afterthat, he trained Haymakers fighters at Fitness Advantage until Foreman, afriend, tapped him to be a part of the EBF team. “I immediately suggested to George that we get involved withHaymakers,” says Farrell.“Marty is one of our best trainers, and a fighter in every sense ofthe word,” says Foreman. “He has a long history in the sport of boxing but alsohas deep roots in the fitness scene in Boston. He brings a lot of energy to ourclasses and community.”That energy, and a relentless never-quit attitude is whatgot Farrell through a pair of devastating spinal injuries, 10 years apart, thatultimately rendered him temporarily paralyzed.After breaking his back in 2000 while working in construction,Farrell had retired from competing. That is, until 2011. While simultaneouslycoaching a team of Haymakers fighters for the first Boston event, and theBoston Police Boxing team for a tournament against the NYPD, he ended upfilling a spot on the BPD card and won the 190 lb. division. Just weeks later,he was in the ring for Haymakers, and tore his rotator cuff. A few months later, while movingfurniture, Farrell felt a disc pop in his back, and that was it. Surgery was inevitable, but it left himunable to walk, much less box.“I hadto learn how to walk again,” says Farrell, who was told he might never be ableto regain his athletic life. Undaunted, he says he “decided to prove themwrong” and fought his way back to health.Farrell credits his “fighter’s discipline” for bringing himback, and he works hard to instill a no-quit, give 100% ethic into his fivekids, ages 7 to 16, who are very active and often join him during trainingsessions at the gym. He alsobrings that drive to his “day job” for the last four years, as an athleticdirector for the Boston Centers for Youth, in the Hyde Park CommunityCenter. He recently turned thecenter’s storage area into a boxing gym and created a boxing program for kids,which is very popular. “Part of my job is mentoring the kids—keeping them engagedand safe,” he says. “It’s pretty cool. I really enjoy what I do.”Back on the beach, the 90-minute Fight Club class—anon-stop, dig-down-in-the-sand session of strength and conditioning mixed withpad work—has been a wild success for Farrell and hugely effective for hiscurrent class of Belles. “They are putting in 20 hours a week and getting intokick-ass shape,” he says. “And our former Haymakers teams are coming back tosupport and give the girls sparring work .They talk to each other and help themmentally prepare for what lies ahead.”That support and community is one reason Foreman says hechose Boston for his boxing gym.“While wrappingup my professional boxing career in 2012, I came up to Boston to visit afriend,” says Foreman. “I was always impressed by both the boxing and fitnesscommunity here. We opened our first EBF in the Seaport area of Boston inDecember 2014. Since then we’ve opened two studio partnerships and are openingour next Boston location in January, 2017.”Since opening EverybodyFights, Foreman and Farrell have beenrefining their approach to the Haymakers training camp, and have developed asystem that links each fighter with one of the gym’s many talented trainers andrequires fighters to master a series of skill levels.“Each fighter has to complete or pass each level to moveon,” says Farrell.” So Level 1 is a month of basic boxing skills, then Level 2is about refining each skill, such as footwork or the different punches. Youhave to show a trainer you can do them before you move on, and so on. We’verefined it a little bit each year. It’s been a good system.”Both Farrell and Foreman are proud of their Haymakers teamsand the family they’ve built in the gym.“The impact Haymakers has had on EBF is hard to measure,” saysForeman. “It's an event that we look forward to twice a year, and we alwayshave a large presence at the fights to support our team.” With just days to go, Farrell is already pretty excitedabout his team’s chances of doing very well.“I love getting the win, but just getting in there, looking out andseeing everybody from our gym in the crowd. To see all the support—it’samazing,” he says. “I’ve been to Vegas and all over, and I’ve seen thousands offights. Haymakers is pretty special.”
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Thursday Jun 14, 2018
Rock ‘N Rumble VII: Nathaniel Short
During the coming months, we’ll be highlighting our fighters in training for the upcoming Rock ‘N Rumble VII in Boston, MA on May 18th. 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 Nathaniel Short (mostly known as Nano), fighting out of EverybodyFights in South Boston. ROUND 1 Your accent gives you away a bit, but where are you originally from? South West England, from a little town called Taunton. Funny enough, I now reside in Taunton - Massachusetts that is.What brought you over to the US? I was playing football (soccer) for a Semi-Professional Club while studying in school. I was scouted during a cup final to go to Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida on a full scholarship. After I graduated I managed to fulfill a lifetime dream of becoming professional and played for the Rochester Rhinos. Moving to the States was by far one of the hardest and best decisions of my life. I wouldn’t change a thing.Did you play football (soccer) your entire life then? Did you play any other sports growing up? Growing up I played a lot of different sports. Our education system has mandatory physical education classes that encompass all sports. I have played Football (Soccer), Rugby, Basketball, Cricket, Golf, Tennis, the whole ten yards. But my focus was Football.Sports have clearly always been a big part of your life, what about your career. What is it you do for work? I am currently the Director of Operations at a Merchant Account Specialist company. I have been working here for six years and thoroughly enjoy the daily challenges, whether that be trying to hit monthly sales numbers or building personal relationships with employees to fulfill their full potential. Juggling the personalities of fifty recent college graduates is a massive task but one that I love.Awesome! Alright, now to the good stuff. Why boxing? Did you ever picture yourself fighting? Great question - that I don’t know the answer to. I never pictured myself stepping in the ring but growing up playing soccer I always enjoyed a good scuffle.So why on earth did you sign up to fight?? I signed up for Haymakers after watching numerous people embark on this incredible, life changing journey. It was amazing to see them put all their efforts into this amazing cause and help give back to those who are less fortunate. I wanted to be part of that, I wanted to feel that sense of pride.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 would say that we all know someone who has been affected by Cancer, so everything that I have experienced is nothing new. When I was 16, I lost my only grandmother to lung cancer. When she was first diagnosed, she was given a short period of time to live. Thankfully she managed to hang on for a lot longer than expected. She was a strong and amazing lady. Then, a few years ago, my Aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer and all I thought to myself was how does this happen? My aunt is as healthy as they come, dedicated to her fitness and healthy lifestyle, but she now has to deal with this shit. I have watched her overcome cancer, I have seen her beat the disease and I am amazed at how truly strong of an individual she is and has become through her battle. My true respect for her came full circle just last year when I had my own cancer scare. I have never felt fear, loneliness, and helplessness in this magnitude - ever in my life. It helped me start to realize what my family members and anyone else who has battled or is currently battling has been through – and will continue to go through. I am drawing inspiration from anyone who has battled cancer and anyone who has been affected by the disease in some way. If they can do that – if they can fight their fight, then I can stand in the ring with a stranger and duke it out.What is going to be the most difficult thing to give up during your training? (beer, cheeseburgers, time spent watching TV…?) I think the hardest part about training will be giving up spending time with my wife and dogs. I work long hours every day so the additional time spent training will take away from them. I am very thankful for my wife and her support during these next four months.So, when you’re not throwing punches and training -- what other hobbies and interests do you have? I love to play Football (soccer) and golf in my spare time and hanging out with my friends. I like to be as active as possible whether it's physically or socially.Last question – and it’s a big one - who do you think is the most excited to watch you get punched in the face come fight night? I would say that my employees and co-workers will get the biggest kick out of seeing me get punched in the face. It's a win-win for them to come and watch me. If I do well then, they are happy I put on a performance, but if I lose, then they have a life time of banter they can throw at me. No pressure, right?Be sure to check out his fundraising page here or send him some encouragement on Instagram & Twitter. Best of luck, Nano!
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Thursday Jun 14, 2018
Great Research Being Done to Knockout Cancer
Dana-Farber and Harvard Medical School are doing unbelievable research to combat cancer. The first link is to an article that talks about Dana-Farber being part of a team that has set up cancer treatment areas in Rwanda, where the death rate due to cancer is extremely high. Hopefully the with increased care more people will be able to fight and win their bouts with cancer.The second link is to an article about a wonderful breakthrough that Harvard Medical School has made in studying genomes to defeat colon cancer. Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. This is an extremely exciting discovery that will go a long way towards everyone's fight to knockout cancer!To Read about Dana-Farber's mission in Rwanda please: Click HereTo Read about Harvard Medical School's breakthrough research: Click Here
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Thursday Jun 14, 2018
#ifightforpete
I am participating in Haymakers for Hope to raise awareness about oral cancer in memory of Peter McGee Hoffman. Peter was a high school classmate at the American School in London who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of tongue cancer at the age of 24. Peter died just seven and a half months after his diagnosis following a courageous battle. This blog post describes my experience raising money and awareness for the Oral Cancer Foundation while training for my Haymakers for Hope fight on November 18th. Please help me remember Peter Hoffman by supporting the #ifightforpete efforts, helping raise awareness about oral cancer, donating to my fundraising campaign or making sure you and your family get screened for oral cancer.I have been a boxing fan since I became aware of Mike Tyson in the late 1980s. As a six-year-old, the star of Mike Tyson’s Punch Out! was seemingly invincible. I remember being utterly floored by Tyson’s loss to Buster Douglas in 1990. I continued to follow boxing, becoming a devoted follower of Chris Eubank while living in London. Eubank had an incredibly arrogant ring persona. He would strut to the ring, chest puffed out like a peacock, before staring down the crowd and hurdling the ropes, all accompanied by Tina Turner’s anthem The Best. I must appreciate arrogant boxers, as I first went to a boxing gym after being inspired by Eric Kelly’s viral video Weak Men Pay This Boxing Coach To Tell Them They Are Terrible. I didn’t get serious about training until I went on a trip to Cuba last November to train at the legendary Gimnasio de Boxeo Rafael Trejo in Havana – the home of Olympic Champions like Félix Savón and Teófilo Stevenson. After my trip to Cuba, I was desperate to get a chance to fight, and soon found my way to Gleason’s Gym in Dumbo to begin training with two-time professional world champion Joan Guzmán. To my delight, two-months later I was accepted to participate in Haymakers for Hope’s NYC 2016 event.I immediately knew that in participating in Haymakers, I wanted to raise money and awareness about oral cancer in Peter Hoffman’s name. Peter wrote a number of update emails to his friends as he battled cancer, and would include things such as “P.P.S. My parents are having a pretty rough time with all of this, and for those of you who know them I'm sure it would mean a lot to them to get an email from you. Their email address is [].” Peter demonstrated such bravery and selflessness in his concern for his parents and others as he fought cancer that something seemed so fitting about preparing for this fight and fighting to raise money and awareness in his memory. Peter’s battle with cancer was awful. He underwent surgeries that removed large parts of his tongue and throat leaving him with major limitations in eating and drinking. As his condition worsened and his cancer spread, he was left unable to speak and reduced to communicating with a pad and pen. Peter’s quality of life had been entirely decimated and he made the decision to forgo additional painful treatments that offered no cure, but agreed to undergo a tracheostomy and have a feeding tube inserted so that he could recover enough to be able to spend time with his sisters – but he never recovered. At Peter’s death, his parents Gary and Peggy wrote, “we cannot begin to convey to you how proud Peter has made us throughout all of this. His behavior has not surprised us because Peter is Peter. But he has been strong beyond belief and tried every which way he knew how to shield us from the pain that we couldn’t be shielded from. Never once over these months did Peter ask “why me”? To the end, he handled himself with dignity, humor, grace and strength of character. He left us a long letter to be read after his death in which he said that he felt he had probably finally drawn the “short straw” after living what he felt had been a fairytale life filled with loving friends and family. Peter’s life these past seven months has been extremely difficult but no one would have guessed that from his positive news updates. He was determined not to let people get depressed about his illness[.]” This is why #ifightforpete, and why I’m asking for your help in the fight against oral cancer.Oral cancer is treatable if caught early enough, but a person dies from oral cancer in America every hour of every day, and 48,000 people in the US will be newly diagnosed with oral cancer in 2016. We all have heard of or know someone who is battling or has lost a battle to oral cancer, including Babe Ruth, Sammy Davis Jr., Humphrey Bogart, George Harrison, Diane Von Furstenberg and Aldous Huxley. When found at early stages, oral cancers have an 80 to 90 % survival rate. Unfortunately at this time, the majority of oral cancers are currently found at late stages. It’s crucial to get screened for oral cancer whenever you see your dentist or doctor. The screening is quick, painless and could save your life. Learn the signs of oral cancers, including sores, swellings, lumps or thick patches anywhere in or around your mouth or throat, red or white lesions in your mouth or lips, or a feeling of a lump or object stuck in your throat. Get screened and donate to my fundraising campaign to help knockout oral cancer!I began my fundraising efforts for Haymakers as soon as I was accepted to participate. My approach has been to try and interweave the various threads of Peter’s story, training for the fight, and oral cancer awareness over social media platforms and any other means possible. I had 1,000 business cards printed with my social media details (https://www.instagram.com/gpcopeland/ & https://www.facebook.com/gpcopeland) so that I could give anyone I spoke to about the fight a way of following up. I made a poster to promote my fight inspired by an old Ali boxing poster that I’ve put up in the gyms I go to and at work. I have had 100 shirts printed with Peter’s smiling face on them and the Joan Guzman Boxing Academy logo on the back. Peter’s whole family posted on social media wearing the shirt. Fighters at Gleason’s, including former World Champion Yuri Foreman and undefeated soon to be 15-0 pro Mikkel “Slikk Mikk” LesPierre have #ifightforpete shirts. I’m also hoping to get some fairly high profile supporters to do Instagram or FaceBook posts wearing the shirts between now and the fight – so contact me if you have tens of thousands of social media followers and are willing to help raise awareness! The largest aggregate donor to my fundraising effort will also get two of the highest priced tickets to see Hamilton on Valentine’s Day 2017 – these have a face value of $849.00 each meaning they would cost about a million dollars on the open market. Through these marketing schemes and an array of blast and direct emails, I’ve now raised about $50,000 from over 125 donors, including $35,750 in ticket sales and hope to raise many thousands more before the fight. My training for the fight has been as much fun and as rewarding as the fund and awareness raising. I know my coach is easily the most talented boxer involved in Haymakers this year, with a Hall of Fame professional record. Developing as a boxer alongside him and the stable of JG Boxing Academy fighters has been incredibly challenging and rewarding. I’ve been supplementing my boxing training with conditioning work at Velocity Sports Performance, pushing sleds and doing all sorts of cycles and power endurance stuff I don’t really understand but seemingly has made me better at getting out of Coach Guzman’s way when he starts swinging at me. I know come the 18th of November that I’ll have done everything possible to be prepared to fight, and am so grateful to have such incredible support coming to watch me. Peter’s sisters will be there on the 18th, and his mother recently wrote me “[y]ou should know that Peter’s main goal for when he recovered was to increase awareness of this disease, about which we knew nothing until he was diagnosed. What you are doing is what Peter was unable to do. We watched as Peter fought with everything he had for seven and a half months until his death, and I like to think that his spirit will be there on November 18 in the Hammerstein Ballroom as you fight in his name.” I can’t think of a better reason to be fighting or an opponent more deserving of being defeated. #ifightforpete. #kooralcancer.Gregory Copeland's Fundraising Page
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