Boxers go back to school to inspire today's pupils

Two professional boxers have gone back to school to speak to pupils about their sporting achievements with the hope of inspiring them.

York heavyweight Leo Atang returned to his former high school, Archbishop Holgate’s, along with cruiserweight Brad Casey and their trainer Ash Martin.

They chatted to students about balancing their education with sport, following their dreams and even treated a teacher to a sparring session.

“Hopefully I can inspire maybe one person today. I’ve always thought that if you have a dream, you should always pursue it,” 19-year-old Atang told pupils.

Atang has just returned from fighting in Ghana on Matchroom Boxing’s first ever African show, where he extended his undefeated professional record to 3-0.

“I always, always had in my mind that I wanted to be a boxer, that I wanted to do this full-time in my life,” he said.

“Obviously, you’ve got to focus at school, you’ve got to do the work which is set out, but if you’ve got that dream, you’ve got to give everything you have to it.”

The athletes took part in a badminton PE lesson [BBC]

Casey, who attended Millthorpe School in York, also has an unbeaten professional record of 3-0 at cruiserweight.

The 21-year-old, who worked on a building site before turning professional, spoke to the students about the importance of having qualifications.

“I got my joinery apprenticeship, and then straight after that I went into a building apprenticeship, which was bricklaying,” he said.

“So, I’ve done all the building trades, and in order to do them, you need to have your GCSEs, so make sure you all get them.”

Ash Martin, the pair’s trainer, who also attended Archbishop Holgate’s School, said it was “great to see some of my old teachers and just see the young kids that are in the school nowadays, people following the path that me and Leo walked once”.

“That’s the thing with boxing, it’s not always been just about giving discipline to the unruly but also giving the quiet kids a voice,” Martin said.

“It’s not just getting kids off the streets, it’s also getting kids off XBoxes.

“If the boys can come into the school today and open other people’s eyes up to what they could potentially be doing in a few years’ time, if they chose a sport, it highlights what there is out there with just a little bit of hard work.”

The visit took place ahead of Atang and Casey’s next bouts on Saturday, where they will both be fighting at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle on the undercard of Bakhram Murtazaliev v Josh Kelly.

George Middleton, assistant headteacher at the school, said the assembly involving the pair had been a great opportunity for the young men to share their boxing journeys.

“Leo and Ash both still live in our local community and they’re on the biggest stage in the world,” he explained.

“Hopefully Leo is going to be the next heavyweight champion in the world and it’s a really proud moment for us to celebrate someone who’s come from our doorstep.”

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