Crowley can relate to the cause
Boxer nearly quit his dream due to depression before he became champ
Cody Crowley opened up at Team 55’s Friday Night Lights about his own struggle with depression.
The aspiring young professional boxer, who brings a 12-0 record to his fight at the Memorial Centre next Saturday, says at one point he struggled with feelings of failure and turned to a self-destructive party lifestyle to cope.
Crowley said he agreed to speak to the estimated crowd of 1,000 at Thomas A. Stewart Athletic Field on Friday night because it’s a cause he can relate to.
“I went through my own episode where I wasn’t happy and fairly depressed,” he told the crowd. “I thought I’d come and tell my story and if it reaches somebody that’s awesome.”
Crowley was as a successful amateur boxer winning a national junior title and representing Canada at the Youth Commonwealth Games where he earned a bronze medal.
“I thought I was the man and that I was going to take over boxing,” he said.
After graduating from St. Peter Secondary School he moved to Las Vegas, the epicentre of professional boxing, ready to take on the world.
“(Las Vegas) has all the best fighters, the biggest fights and the most money. I went to chase it all.”
It wasn’t long before he found himself in the gym getting beat up on a regular basis.
“I got my face beat in pretty bad,” he said. “I realized I wasn’t on their level.”
He called his parents begging for money to come home.
“I couldn’t take it anymore,” he said.
When he returned home he faced questions from friends, family, old classmates about quitting on his dream.
“I let it really mess with me mentally. I started drinking and hanging out with the wrong people. I started gaining weight. My fight next week is at 154 pounds and I got up to 210 or 220. I woke up every day just hating myself looking in the mirror,” he said.
He met his future girlfriend, Taylor Ellis, and it was a turning point in his life. She helped him realize his life had no direction. She convinced him it wasn’t too late to chase his dreams.
“We saved up money, packed our bags and bought one-way tickets to Las Vegas. We had a five-year plan and I had a new mindset. I was going to be more motivated, more positive with myself. I was going to enjoy the journey and whether I succeed or not doesn’t matter it’s just the journey I’m on that I care about.”
Three years later Crowley put 3,500 people in the Memorial Centre for his homecoming in May. A similar crowd is expected for his second hometown bout when he puts his Canadian Professional Boxing Council super-welterweight international title on the line.
The difference this time, Crowley says, is he has a team behind him, just like Team 55 uses a team to spread its conversation about suicide prevention.
“We need a team, a support system,” Crowley said. “The first time I was in Vegas I didn’t have a support system. Now I reach out to my family. Before, they didn’t know I was sad or depressed. Now I talk to them and have an outlet.
“In the boxing ring it might look like one person fighting but it take s team. I can’t even put my own boxing gloves on without the help of my coach.”
It’s why he said he was happy to support Team 55.
“It’s an amazing concept to see people go out of their way to help people and raise awareness like this,” he said.
NOTES: Cody Crowley will be at the Lansdowne Place centre court Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. to meet fans and promote his fight. He will hold a public workout from noon to 1 p.m .... See more Friday Night Lights coverage on Page D2.