My guest today is helping to reshape the outlook for hundreds of youth in "the hardest hit neighborhood in our state for poverty, crime,...and a lack of opportunity".
Founder and Executive Director of Northside Boxing Club Ryan Burnet is on a mission to help inner city youth of North Minneapolis, MN, and be a safe haven for them.
With a background in creating restaurants, Ryan noted it felt like it was a ‘selfish’ career, regarding the amount of time and energy that was engulfing him. But Ryan had found boxing in his own life and realized what a change it made in him. He decided he wanted to use his restaurants to donate food to a local boxing gym. He found, however, he couldn't simply drop off the food. He ended up being pulled to stay longer, learning about the people and the gyms, yes gyms plural at this point, driving kids, and getting more involved.
Ryan then realized that many of the kids were coming in from North Minneapolis but there was no gym in their own neighborhood. So that was when Northside Boxing Club was born.
Ryan shares a beautiful story of one of the members of the gym who is now an adult doing well for himself with a family of his own about to turn pro in boxing. Ryan says this is one of many wonderful stories, and it is only the beginning. Six years in, he has plans for an amazing future ahead with the gym.
He quotes one of the gym’s pro boxers who is a trainer there, Phil Williams: "Each one teach one". From 8 years old to young adults who have now taken on leadership roles at the gym, youth are learning discipline, teamwork, commitment, and more.
Listen to the end for Ryan’s biggest surprise since opening the boxing club.
Connect with Ryan:
- NorthsideBoxing.org
- Ryan@northsideboxing.org
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- Podcast platforms: Be The Good with Kate Cherichello
- Website: katecherichello.com/bethegood
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