Photos by Lori Graham
Lori Graham
Contributing Writer
Blacksburg Boxing and Fitness invited the public to a sparring event on June 9 at their Blacksburg gym location to raise funds for Alzheimer’s Association and The Longest Day event.
Amateur athletes sparred in an open match in front of a packed room of spectators. The sparring session allowed the athletes an opportunity to get practice while raising funds for a good cause.
The gym was founded in 2015 by Augusta and Kevin Bowen.
“Like in a spring Virginia Tech football game, they might not be hitting as hard as in the real game. It is the same idea with sparring,” said Kevin Bowen, a USA Boxing Coach and Athlete. “The idea is not to knock your sparring partner out or to beat them. It is live boxing, but the whole point is not to hurt anyone or ‘win’ but get some good practice in. They also want to showcase their amateur skills.”
Bowen said this is not their first fundraising event but it’s the first time raising money for Alzheimer’s Association. Nina Kempic, a volunteer with the Alzheimers Association and committee member chair with The Longest Day event, also had first-hand experience with the disease through a close family member.
“Taking care of my grandmother who had Alzheimer’s, the Alzheimer’s Association provided great support and information,” Kempic said. So, she approached Bowen about registering the gym for an event to raise funds for the organization.
“We said heck yeah, why not, and 100% of the proceeds go to the Alzheimer’s Association,” Bowen said.
The event also allowed for several amateur boxing athletes to step into the ring and practice their boxing skills in front of spectators.
Boxing and sparring require a lot of conditioning and fitness before engaging in a boxing match, Coaches Craig Hauser and Jimmy Ivory discussed at the sparring event on Friday.
“You have to be in tremendous shape to start,” said Hauser. “You will come to different classes we have here and work up to skills classes. Then when in good enough shape you can do the Fighter Fit classes. USA Boxing has a program that they need to join. They have to take the physical and maintain that every year.’
Months and even years of a continuous training and fitness regime is necessary for those wishing to become a boxing athlete. The direction of a registered coach is also a requirement.
“Any training session, people have to be not just like all-registered athletes but in the presence of a registered coach for their safety,” Ivory said. “Even contact training is highly regulated.”
Blacksburg Boxing and Fitness offers a variety of classes to become fit and healthy while having fun learning boxing techniques as well. On the first floor of their gym is housed the boxing ring, punching bags, weightlifting equipment, cardio machines, and a variety of other facilities that allow for workouts at your own pace. Beginner classes allow participants to learn appropriate boxing techniques to get the most out of their workout. Higher intensity classes are also available such as the Fighter Fit or Core Shred that will give everyone the chance to meet their full workout potential. Additional class options are also available, including children’s camps.
The gym is currently open Monday-Thursday 6 a.m.- 9 p.m., Friday 6 a.m.- 7 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m.- 4 p.m., and is closed on Sunday. The first week is free! Additional information can be found on their website at www.blacksburgboxingandfitness.com.
