‘I’m as pleased as punch now I’ve found my way’
THE HARD KNOCKS OF LIFE HAD DEALT TEENAGER OSCAR KAIL MANY BLOWS, BUT WHEN HE SIGNED UP WITH A NATIONAL LOTTERYFUNDED BOXING CLUB, HE FINALLY GOT HIS MOJO BACK
OSCAR Kail might only be 15, but he’s already experienced far more than many other youngsters of the same age.
Growing up in Switzerland with his mum Joey and sister Ottilie, now eight, he seemingly had it all – a lovely home in a picturesque Alpine village, a bilingual education and a talent for trampolining that saw him finish fourth in the national championships.
But in reality, Oscar was coping with a turbulent home life, terrible shyness and an obvious lack of confidence.
Joey, 54, herself a four-times British fitness champion, explains: “When Oscar was young we didn’t have a stable home life. Behind closed doors, things were quite aggressive, and Oscar witnessed a lot of upset before I separated from his dad. He became very reserved, and found it hard to speak up for himself.
“I’d also lost his brother at birth when Oscar was just five. We’d both been through a lot and he felt like he had to become the ‘man’ of the house at a very young age.
“I remember he’d walk out of school with his shoulders slumped and head down. He didn’t feel like he had a place in the world.”
WINNING BLOW
But then Oscar discovered boxing and everything began to change. So much so that when his family moved to start a new life on the farm in rural west Wales with Joey’s new partner Alastair, he had already researched and found Cardigan Boxing Club.
He started training at the community gym just 24 hours after arriving in the country, and only five months later delivered the winning blow in his first amateur boxing bout – in front of a crowd of 300.
Oscar, who is due to sit his GCSES next summer, says: “As soon as I walked through the club doors I knew I’d found a place that I’d want to be part of. Boxing brings something completely different to my life. I love the allround fitness you get, but also the tactics and focus you need. The sport gives me something to lean back on. You don’t know how much emotion is inside you until you punch a bag. Boxing helps you express that, it is therapeutic!’
“I used to feel so shy all the time, and embarrassed in social situations, but boxing has totally transformed my confidence.
“Last December, when I competed in front of a huge crowd, it was almost like the audience wasn’t there. I was totally focused.”
Cardigan Boxing
FAMILY ‘MAN’ With mum Joey
Club is just one of the many good causes benefiting from the £30million* raised every week when you play The National Lottery.
It has been running since 1982, and is the only grassroots boxing group of its kind for miles around, with keen young boxers of all ages travelling from across three counties to train there with head coach Guy Croft.
LIVES TRANSFORMED
The club has recently completed an extension of the gym, and bought a second boxing ring. Oscar is just one of many youngsters based there whose lives have been transformed. He says: “When people play the Lottery, the positive impact of that short- term action lasts for years. Boxing hasn’t just made me physically fit, it’s made me mentally strong and able to handle whatever comes my way.”