Other Sport / boxing
Boxed into Bristol Half Marathon
A boxing ring may not be the obvious location in which to train for a 13-mile run, but boxing and running are close bedfellows. Just think of Rocky Balboa pounding the streets of Philadelphia in his grey tracksuit, sweat pouring off him.
Easton charity Empire Fighting Chance is now offering a unique opportunity for people to train with them in preparation for the Simplyhealth Great Bristol Half Marathon on September 23, and have created a professionally designed 100-day programme to get you race ready.
“Running goes hand in hand with boxing because it’s all about legs, lungs and discipline,” says Empire events manager Dan Smart, a former Marine.
is needed now More than ever
“Boxing training is demanding and pushing yourself through these difficult moments increases your mental strength and enables you to continue when you are tired and your mind is telling you to stop for a bit.”
Founder of Empire club Chris Sanigar with former world champ Lee Haskins (left) and current world champ Lee Selby
Up to 100 people will be able to take part in Empire’s bespoke training schedule, called the 100 Challenge, which involves access to box fit classes, bootcamp sessions and regular tips through an online community – all also helping to raise money for the charity which supports some of Bristol’s most vulnerable young people.
The Empire club has a long tradition. Originally founded 40 years ago in a former church building on Newfoundland Road in St Agnes, it moved the other side of the M32 in 2005 to The Mill Youth Club on Lower Ashley Road.
The club is local in its truest sense, with all the coaches coming from the surrounding area. It is also one of the very few sport facilities in Bristol where you will find world champions. An eight-year-old can walk into the gym as a beginner and see the likes of former IBF bantamweight champion Lee Haskins and current IBF featherweight champ Lee Selby training in the same room as them, making Empire lay good claim to being called Bristol’s most successful sports club.
Specifically targeting young people living in deprived communities, including those at risk of exclusion from school, those involved in crime or gangs and those suffering from mental health issues, Empire can begin to address multiple complex issues they may be facing. And it’s working.
Empire Fighting Chance is working to bring about positive change to the lives of young people in Bristol
So alongside all the health and social benefits of the 100 Challenge itself, the added ingredient of becoming a participant is that you get the chance to run for a great cause that is having a huge impact.
Every £100 raised will enable a young person to attend a month of weekly personal development sessions, greatly increasing their chances of transforming their previous behavior, enabling Empire to continue with the trusted relationship they have built up with their coach, ands genuinely giving a young person the chance to change their life.
For the runners, signing up could also be the change in sporting habit that they need, with the aim to help them continue with exercise long after the programme has finished.
Running should be fun, and while it may be painful, it’s a great chance to kickstart your journey to fitness, in a supportive and nurturing environment. And raising money for an organisation that is at the cutting edge of changing the lives of young people who need a helping hand.
While at the final bell you may not be held aloft with your world championship belt like Rocky or Bristol’s own Lee Haskins, when you reach the finishing line in your Empire vest, be safe assured to a young person out there, you will still be a champ.
To find more information about the 100 Challenge at Empire Fighting Chance, visit www.empirefightingchance.org, call 0117 949 6699 or email info@empirefightingchance.org.
Read more: Boxing to break down barriers
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