PERSPECTIVE A KEY IN PRO RISE
BOXING helped transform Lewis Chadwick. Having gone from an angry kid searching for direction to the “calm and collected” fighter he is today, the 21-year-old has found a way to use his experiences to make a huge impact in people’s lives.
Ahead of his final amateur bout in tonight’s Clash at the Centen showcase, before making his jump to the professional ranks, Chadwick revealed how his support work clients had become his inspiration to attaining greatness in the ring.
Some came to him with the same anger issues he had as a teenager, his own adversity coming from a lack of confidence and his parents’ divorce prior to finding Shane “Fozzie” Hooper’s Dreams Boxing Club.
Others suffer from various disabilities, and witnessing their plights but willingness to keep battling has been Chadwick’s motivation to never surrender in his quest to reach the top.
One client by the name of Nathan, who suffers from a degenerative disease called spinocerebellar ataxia, has epitomised who he is fighting for.
“It’s a tough disease he battles with, but he’s also very rewarding to work for – he’s working every day just to stay alive,” Chadwick said.
“He’s going to the gym just to keep his body strong enough to get through his days, and that’s something that’s very motivating for me.
“I consider myself pretty lucky to be able to do what I do for the fun of it, whereas he’s doing it for his life. It’s pretty touching for me.
“I feel good helping other people with their own issues that I’ve struggled with. I had a lot of anger and just didn’t know where to put it at the time.
“My dad showed me this boxing gym out at Fozzie’s in his backyard and once I was there I was loving it. Even though I was crapping myself before I got in there, once I was in there I just felt at home and happy.”
Chadwick always tries to arrange seating for his clients at his bouts, even organising ringside seating for those in wheelchairs.
It will be the community's final chance to see him as an amateur pugilist, before he makes his professional debut on December 11 in Townsville. That moment will be the culmination of the efforts made between “Kid Lightning” and Hooper.
“I’m a fast puncher, and Foz came up with a few names over the years and they sort of just came together to Kid Lightning,” Chadwick said.
“When we started off I just wanted to impress my trainer and I wanted to be an athlete in front of him.
“We’re more than coach and athlete now, we’re close mates and that’s what I want in boxing.
“This has been my main goal, my main dream since I was 16. I’m so glad it’s here, I’m living my dream life at the moment and hopefully everything else follows after it.” Gates at the Centenary Hotel will open at 4.30pm.