Coach fights for NQ boxing talent
TOWNSVILLE boxing coach Derek Webber wants more North Queensland kids to have the opportunity to grow and excel in the sport.
The North Coast Combat Fitness owner is working with Boxing Australia and the Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) to identify juniors who have the potential to take their boxing to the highest level.
Webber will be scouring North Queensland for regional talent around the ages of 14-16 to be Australia’s Olympic hopefuls for the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane.
He currently coaches a number of talented youths, including one of Townsville’s brightest up-and-coming boxers Sahara ‘Desert Storm’ Dempsey, who won gold at the National Underage Boxing Championships in July.
Webber said Dempsey was the most advanced junior he coaches, calling her the “perfect candidate” for the 2032 Olympics, but added that there were opportunities for kids of all levels.
He said it was important for young athletes to constantly strive for improvement to ensure they don’t lose motivation and leave the sport.
“Everyone has got to keep learning, and I think with some of the older boxers here they’re sort of set in their ways,” Webber said.
“With evolution and the way everything goes, you have got to evolve otherwise you’ll just get left behind.
“It comes down to education and opportunity, there are opportunities now that are open and I’d love to share that story because it can benefit a lot of North Queenslanders, from Mackay all the way up to Cape York Peninsula.”
Webber said the programs he had been working on with QAS and Boxing Australia will allow young Queenslanders to travel the world to compete in events and training camps, and have unique experiences.
“The biggest thing we’re trying to push is education and the willingness to learn,” Webber said.
“If you don’t learn, how do you grow?
“You want to be able to travel, you want to be able to get experiences that make you a better person to build character, to experience other cultures and to get more experience in boxing in general.”