Solihull Youngsters In Spar-a-Thon With Kickboxing Champion

Youngsters from a Solihull boxing club packed a powerful punch by helping to raise £1,600 for a new boxing ring in a Spar-a-Thon with former ISKA World Cruiserweight Kickboxing Champion Waine Turner.

The youngsters from WBC Fit Club were sponsored to go six rounds with Waine Turner, who secured three British national titles, a bronze in the Amateur World Championships, the World Title at the age of 40 and a second World Title at the age of 48.

After the Spar-a-Thon, the club set up its new boxing ring for the first time in premises at Grace Academy Solihull where it has just started to provide classes for students, as well as members of the local community.

Matt Spina, the Academy’s Assistant Principal for Ethos and Student Life, welcomed the boxing club’s arrival at Grace Academy after taking on four rounds with Waine Turner himself to help raise vital funds.

Matt Spina said:

“It was good to be a part of the Spar-a-Thon to help raise funds for the new boxing ring for community evening classes here at Grace Academy Solihull, and for our students who also do boxing in after-school club.

“I’d done some sparring in the past but this was definitely a step up from anything I’d done before. Waine has the ability to let you set the tone and, while he went easy on me, he also pushed and challenged me at the same time.”

One of the first students from Grace Academy Solihull to join the boxing club and try out the new ring, Katrina O’Sullivan, said:

“I like doing the boxing. It’s fun and I meet new people there. My favourite bit is learning the new skills like the different punches and combinations. It makes me enjoy school more because I look forward to the boxing. I’ve done football before but never anything like the boxing. I’m thinking about coming out for the evening classes as well.”

Explaining why he first got involved with the club, Kickboxing Champion Waine Turner said:

“I love seeing young people enjoy what they do and learn to see the benefit from it.  Boxing is not just about fighting, but about the discipline you need to bring to the sport.  Young people learn that whatever you put 100% in to comes off, and you can see the benefit of it.”