Thomas Marshall - Boxing

I never thought I would be a boxer, but as I arrived at university, I needed a new challenge and nothing seemed more difficult than learning to box. The following year was some of the toughest situations I have ever been through, from stepping into the ring for my first spar to my first bout, it was a constant struggle. This is part of why I think that a boxing club in the University is so important. Becoming a boxer is a war of attrition but that makes the rewards even better.

Under my Vice Captaincy, I wanted to show and teach as many people as possible how, empowering, boxing can be. This was harder than I ever could have realized. The club was struggling and it fell to me to hold it together. This hurt my progression as a boxer but the club was too important to me to watch it fail. Eventually, we stabilised, had a very successful end of year show and now the future looks promising.

This year, the club has seen modest success. The employment of two brilliant full time coaches has lifted us out of the rut the club found itself in last year. Our ongoing agreement with PlaySport has boosted our membership significantly and now more people than ever are trying out boxing. Finally, our boxing squad is reforming and for the first time, the club will finally enter the BUCS championships. These are exciting prospects for us, and soon the club could return to its former glory with the help of a dedicated, intelligent committee and our passionate members.

Ultimately, I know that I wouldn’t be the same person without boxing, it has given me so much, and I am now an able, confident leader ready to push the club back into action.