Boxing taught teenage champ many life skills
16-year-old Reginan recently captured national junior male title in Edmonton
At “five-foot-four and a little bit,” Quinn Neald has ascended to quite the heights.
The 16-year-old Reginan is savouring his first week as a national boxing champion, having captured the 75-kilogram junior male title last Saturday in Edmonton.
“One of my national coaches said that if I won, I would be one of the biggest people in Saskatchewan, so I had better be prepared,” Neald said in the early stages of an interview at the New Line Boxing Academy. “Now we’re here.”
Although Neald entered his first nationals with ambitious goals, he did not envision becoming a gold medallist so quickly.
“I expected to do the best I could,” he said. “I wanted to make a name for myself, and I wanted to prove that even though I am short, I can lay a whoopin’ on the tall guys.”
Mission accomplished.
Neald fought twice at Boxing Canada’s nationals, defeating Manitoba’s Mohammed Makhloaf on Friday before winning a split decision against Alberta’s Josh Peck in the gold-medal match.
“Since then, I’ve gotten a lot of pats on the back, a lot of handshakes, lots of congratulations from people, and lots of people saying, ‘Good job, champ,’ ” Neald said with a smile. “It has been pretty out there.”
Especially for someone who took up boxing somewhat by chance.
“I drove by (the New Line club) with my grandpa (Bill Neald) and saw the boxing sign,” Quinn said, flashing back six years. “I said, ‘Do you think Mom would let me box?’ ”
Neald eventually received permission from his parents, Tory and Joanne.
“You could sign up for six months or a year,” Tory recalled. “I didn’t give him much more than a week.”
After all, the 10-year-old Neald was already 160 pounds — only five pounds under his current weight.
“I couldn’t run for more than 10 seconds,” he remembered. “I couldn’t lift more than three pounds.”
“Unless it was a hamburger,” his father interjected with a chuckle.
Neald quickly developed an appetite for the sport, which altered his life for the better in several ways.
Two years ago, for example, he reduced his weight from 200 pounds to 177. A few months later, the weight was down to the 160s.
“When I was little, I was a pretty heavy kid,” Neald said. “I was bullied a lot. I didn’t like myself and I didn’t have a lot of self-confidence.”
Now he is a national champion, an accomplished student in Grade 10 at Martin Collegiate, and a sergeant — a key leader — with the 2370 Royal Canadian Army Ca- dets.
From time to time, Neald still sees some of the kids who had once bullied him, but is never tempted to exact revenge.
“Boxing is a sport,” he said. “I never joined boxing to hurt anybody. I don’t like hurting people outside of boxing. I never have. I never will.”
Neald would rather help people, as evidenced by his desire to become a firefighter. In the meantime, though, he is determined to advance as far as he can in boxing.
“I’ve learned so many life skills here (at the New Line club),” he said. “I’ve learned about respect and responsibility and about how to keep myself fit and healthy and prepared for anything that can happen.
“Boxing isn’t just an individual sport. A lot of people think it is, but it’s a team sport. A boxer can’t go into the ring without his coaches behind him in the corner.”
In another sense, Neald’s parents are also in his corner.
“Joanne and myself are so proud of Quinn,” Tory said. “It’s hard to put it into words. Quinn has accomplished so much for himself at 16 years of age. Most people have not reached that level in a lifetime.
“We just love and support him in everything that he does. We both are like a couple of peacocks when it comes to Quinn.”
The pride extended to Neald’s late grandfather, Jerry Vollet, who died in 2008.
“I get lots of motivation from my grandpa,” Neald said. “I know he would be very, very proud to see me here.
“Every time I go to a competition, I take his bracelet with me. Every time I’ve taken it, I’ve won.”
For confirmation, check out the gold medal — that of a national champion.
I’ve learned about respect and responsibility and about how to keep myself fit and healthy and prepared for anything.