“Boxing saved my life.” Gordon Adams’ words fall like a punch. Hailing from Bonteheuwel, Cape Town, his life could have been one of violence and gangsterism. Instead, he fell in love with boxing. In the 1970s and 1980s, Adams was a lightweight boxer and one of the first athletes to participate in an interracial match during apartheid. Decades later, he is determined to give the youth of his neighbourhood a fighting chance.
For kids from low-income households with few after-school activities, the streets and the gangs that run them are an intimidating temptation. Identities are forged through dangerous behaviour, peer pressure, and desperation. But Adams offers an alternative for these children with his boxing club in Manenberg, a town near where he grew up. “I don’t want them to get involved in the wrong things,” Adams says. Classes are free at the Gordon Boxing Academy, ensuring there are no barriers between vulnerable youth and their chance at a better future.
Adams’ advice to teenagers is simple: “Don’t be naughty, man.” Easier said than done, the youth in these areas face monumental challenges. But this coach’s desire to produce champions is as strong as ever. Adams was saved by this sport 40 years ago, and he won’t be deterred from his quest to rescue more kids through boxing.
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