Boxer opens up not-for-profit club
Open house Saturday at Corcoran’s Boxing Club and Fitness Centre
A longtime amateur boxer and his fiancé opened a non-for-profit boxing club and gym earlier this month at the former BEL Boxing Club and Goodlife Fitness location on Chemong Road just north of the city.
Corcoran’s Boxing Club and Fitness Centre, which offers recreational and competitive youth programs, fitness boot camps and personal training, takes owners Jay Corcoran and his fiancé Elysia Catherwood back to their roots.
Corcoran, an Ennismore native, is a Toronto police officer and veteran of more than 75 amateur and three professional bouts while Catherwood, a city native, is a registered massage therapist with a background in kickboxing, including 10 pro matches.
But the club isn’t just about fighting – a stereotype the couple want to avoid. It will focus on the benefits of boxing to improve and maintain one’s physical and mental health. That’s what most boxing clubs are now doing, Corcoran said.
“We want that community feel,” Catherwood added, pointing out how they envision the centre as a location for youth to go to get away from bullying, for example. “It just gives them an outlet and a place to go.”
That is what the sport has long meant to Corcoran, 46, who has suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder from his experiences in law enforcement.
“You are able to lose yourself for awhile. It’s a wonderful outlet. It’s a release,” said the constable with 43 Division in Scarborough.
The couple has already seen the impact on a 15-year-old boy they have worked with who dealt with bullying issues – his mother told them about how his anxiety has lessened and his confidence has been restored.
But the centre is not just for youth, added Corcoran, who made his professional debut at age 45 on a Cody Crowley card at the Peterborough Memorial Centre. “You are never too old to learn something different.”
Being a not-for-profit means all funding will be put back into the centre, keeping costs low, Catherwood said. “We want to be accessible.”
It offers standard equipment, but the couple will make recommendations on other gear based on user’s needs. The sprawling 3,000-plus-square-foot centre offers a wide variety of strength and conditioning equipment and training tools.
The couple also hopes to be able to eventually take competitive teams abroad, affording participants experiences they may not otherwise get. It also wants to bring in guest speakers, building on plans to bring in a yoga professional next month.
Catherwood also plans to offer mom and babies programming – their busy family of five is soon expected to grow to six.
The centre will hold an open house from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday that will feature an open workout by Ajax-based boxer Brandon Cook, who is training for a title fight with WBO superwelterweight champ Jaime Munguia on Sept. 15 in Las Vegas.
NOTES: Corcoran’s Boxing Club and Fitness Centre is located at 1625 Chemong Rd.… For more information, call 705-8721086 or like the centre on Facebook at www.facebook.com/corcoransboxingandfitness/ or on Twitter @corcoransboxingandfitness .