Imagine having no combat skills and getting put into a boxing ring to duke it out. Imagine waking up every weekday morning and training at 6 am for two months straight to prepare for your big fight.
That’s exactly what contenders in a local charity event called Fight 4 the Cause do.
We spoke with people four weeks into training for the event and saw confidence, better results, and greater determination than might be imagined. According to multiple contenders, they went into this program with apprehension but have since overcome and accomplished so much.
“I was afraid of getting hit at first,” says Fight 4 the Cause Red Team contender and UVic social work student Stephanie “Sugar” Wray. “Rather than flailing around trying to not get hit like in the beginning, I’m learning how to properly block hits and take hits so it doesn’t hurt as much.”
Wray feels a sense of accomplishment from putting herself out of her comfort zone and says it’s been quite the learning experience for her, considering she had no previous combat training.
“I have to continuously remind myself of the basics, like keeping my hands up and staying in a proper position,” explains Wray. “I do notice that every day gets easier and I’m naturally improving but, of course, there is still room for improvement.”
Most mornings Wray wakes up sore, but her body has become much stronger since then and, according to her boyfriend, her punches are harder (when they play fight, that is). Not only is the training physically worth it, but the charities have sentimental value for her (proceeds go towards Mustard Seed, Power to Be, and The Brazilian Cultural Foundation).
“When I heard they were donating towards Mustard Seed, it really struck a cord for me,” says Wray. “As a social work student, I deal with poverty in Victoria and I know how important having food and warm jackets is, especially during this time of year.”
While Wray is overcoming her fear of getting hit, local property manager Aaron “Smash” Usatch has overcome his addiction to smoking. Usatch thanks Fight 4 the Cause for helping him jumpstart his health in the right direction.
“I quit smoking cold turkey when we started training,” says Usatch. “I’m using these eight weeks as a springboard to start living a much healthier lifestyle. I’ve lost 15 pounds so far and have another 10 pounds to lose to match my opponent and reach my ideal weight.”
Usatch says his mind hasn’t been this clear since he was a teenager and feels like his health improvements have given him an edge that he doesn’t want to lose. He feels calm and settled, his life all properly in place.
“Everyone should take the opportunity to make choices to improve their life, health, and challenge themselves,” says Usatch. “The worst thing that can happen is that you can fail, while the best thing is that you can accomplish your goals and reach a new level of success.”
Usatch is finally achieving a goal on his bucket list (competing in a boxing ring) and is looking forward to his fight.
“The psychological, physical, and mental challenge this has been has helped us all grow,” says Usatch. “Seeing the body weight that everyone walked in at and noticing all the strength they have gained and positive changes everyone has made has been quite remarkable.”
BC Boxing and Boxing Canada coach Chris Jones has been involved in the sport since the 1960s and is putting in his time to help Fight 4 the Cause and its contenders reach their goals.
“This group of contenders is so eager and quick to learn,” says Jones. “They are determined, focused, and the fact that they wake up and are training here at 6 am every weekday morning speaks a lot about their work ethic. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen another group of fighters improve so much in such a short amount of time.”
Hans “The Crusher” McFarlane may have had an advantage, considering he used to be a military police officer. McFarlane trained mainly in self-defence and says boxing is much more calculated with many more rules to it.
“Boxing is like a mental chess game and certainly physically enduring at the same time. It’s the combination of fitness level and skill level which determines who will win a fight,” explains McFarlane.
McFarlane has always enjoyed the exercise component of fitness but never really took into account the diet part of fitness until now. He used to be a burger-and-beer kind of guy but has changed that aspect of his lifestyle for the competition.
“I’ve been seeing a nutritionist since I’ve committed to this and it makes all the difference in the world,” says McFarlane. “I only drink water and protein shakes now and eat mainly meat and vegetables. The change in my diet, along with training towards a goal, has made me lose 20 pounds in this mere four weeks.”
McFarlane renovates and flips houses as a career and says that his work feels completely different now. Training early in the mornings gives him more energy to take on his working day.
“Mentally I feel stronger, my confidence has been boosted, and I generally feel better than before,” says McFarlane. “I haven’t been a part of a team in a long time, and it feels great to have the teammates I do. It’s really helped motivate me and I think my growth has really encouraged my friends.”
The trainer of the blue team, Cassius Sebunyana, says the biggest change he’s noticed in the competitors is their confidence levels.
“I don’t think these guys realized what they signed up for training-wise,” says Sebunyana. “They seemed to get nervous once they realized they were going to get hit. It’s only been a month and they now bounce back from the hits and laugh about their initial fears of it.”
Sebunyana says that most of the competitors want to continue training after the fights and that one competitor, Jeni “Quick Draw” Gunn (or, as he nicknamed her, “Machine Gunn”) wants to continue pursuing a career hobby as a fighter.
“I look forward to seeing everyone’s performance in the ring,” says Sebunyana. “Win or lose, they are winners already in my mind. Not too many people would have the will to go through this training, get in the ring, and go through with the fight.”
Fight 4 the Cause
6 pm Saturday, December 8
Victoria Conference Centre
fight4thecause.ca