Two skilled boxers have gone back to school to converse to pupils about their sporting achievements with the hope of inspiring them.
York heavyweight Leo Atang returned to his former excessive school, Archbishop Holgate’s, together with cruiserweight Brad Casey and their coach Ash Martin.
Advertisement
They chatted to college students about balancing their schooling with sport, following their desires and even handled a trainer to a sparring session.
“Hopefully I can inspire maybe one person today. I’ve always thought that if you have a dream, you should always pursue it,” 19-year-old Atang instructed pupils.
Atang has simply returned from combating in Ghana on Matchroom Boxing’s first ever African present, the place he prolonged his undefeated skilled report to 3-0.
“I always, always had in my mind that I wanted to be a boxer, that I wanted to do this full-time in my life,” he stated.
“Obviously, you’ve got to focus at school, you’ve got to do the work which is set out, but if you’ve got that dream, you’ve got to give everything you have to it.”
The athletes took half in a badminton PE lesson [BBC]
Casey, who attended Millthorpe School in York, additionally has an unbeaten skilled report of 3-0 at cruiserweight.
Advertisement
The 21-year-old, who labored on a constructing web site earlier than turning skilled, spoke to the scholars in regards to the significance of getting {qualifications}.
“I got my joinery apprenticeship, and then straight after that I went into a building apprenticeship, which was bricklaying,” he stated.
“So, I’ve done all the building trades, and in order to do them, you need to have your GCSEs, so make sure you all get them.”
Ash Martin, the pair’s coach, who additionally attended Archbishop Holgate’s School, stated it was “great to see some of my old teachers and just see the young kids that are in the school nowadays, people following the path that me and Leo walked once”.
Advertisement
“That’s the thing with boxing, it’s not always been just about giving discipline to the unruly but also giving the quiet kids a voice,” Martin stated.
“It’s not just getting kids off the streets, it’s also getting kids off XBoxes.
“If the boys can come into the school right this moment and open different folks’s eyes up to what they may doubtlessly be doing in a couple of years’ time, in the event that they selected a sport, it highlights what there’s on the market with just a bit little bit of exhausting work.”
The visit took place ahead of Atang and Casey’s next bouts on Saturday, where they will both be fighting at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle on the undercard of Bakhram Murtazaliev v Josh Kelly.
Advertisement
George Middleton, assistant headteacher at the school, said the assembly involving the pair had been a great opportunity for the young men to share their boxing journeys.
“Leo and Ash each nonetheless dwell in our local people and so they’re on the most important stage on the earth,” he explained.
“Hopefully Leo goes to be the subsequent heavyweight champion on the earth and it is a actually proud second for us to have a good time somebody who’s come from our doorstep.”
Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, meet up with the newest episode of Look North.