Indigenous Boxing Academy

Paul West, Australian Indigenous Welterweight Champion, left Australia for the fist time on 14 September 2009 to represent the country in the Multi-Nations cup in Toronto, Canada.

The trip was a big landmark for the Indigenous Boxing Academy where he trains. Alex Wymarra along with some accredited trainers set up the Academy as a way to help gets kids off the street and keep them off. For some, boxing creates an identity and confidence, something other than getting into to trouble.

The Academy’s base was at the Eloura gym of Mundine gym at The Block in Redfern, but soon they branched out to Mt Druitt, Campbelltown, Woolloomooloo and La Perouse. ReRu was invited in to take photos for a media release about Paul’s achievement and document this important community facility.

We heard that the dedicated and growing core of young members at the Academy was partly due to West’s successes. Alex observes that “the kids who were a bit in and out, they saw Pauly getting wins, and he turned into a role model”.