After a tough start in life, including being expelled from school three times for fighting, I discovered boxing at 15, and it changed everything. I fell in love with the sport, and the challenge it gave me. My journey began at Clarke and Eaton, which later became Pinewood Starr. When my coach Frank Harvey set up Bracknell Boys Club, I followed him there and boxed for them for several years before joining the renowned Repton Boxing Club in my early 20s.

I stayed with Repton for nearly a decade as a competitive boxer. Eventually, I shifted focus to coaching and joined Repton’s junior team under the leadership of George Bowers. I ran the “Nursery” for 8 to 11-year-olds, helping guide young boxers through their early development. I’m proud to have played a part in the success of many of them, including Andy Lee, who went on to win a professional World Middleweight title. Later, I took on dual roles—continuing to run the Nursery while also coaching older juniors. In my first year, Gary Covely won the Schools title and Ryan Pickard made it to the final. Ryan would go on to win the title twice, along with several other young boxers who achieved national success.

After 20 years at Repton, work commitments meant I had to step away. When I relocated to Warwickshire, I searched for a club to support and found the perfect fit at RLS Boxing Club. The club had been run for years by the dedicated Ollie O’Neill, who balanced full-time work with coaching five nights a week. When Ollie retired, it coincided with my own retirement from work, giving me the chance to realise a long-held dream of running a club of my own. My passion is still in coaching young people, trying to get the best out of every boxer, instilling discipline, respect, and confidence, skills that matter both in and out of the ring.